Earthquake Reported Near Kīlauea volcano

Report prepared by the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory:

A magnitude-4.7 earthquake was recorded by the U.S. Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory on May 24, 2007 at 9:13 a.. H.s.t. It was located beneath the upper east rift zone of Kīlauea volcano, near Puhimau crater, at a depth of 2 km (1 mile). A magnitude 4.1 aftershock occurred at 9:33 a.m. and was located 1.5 km (1 mile) farther downrift beneath Koko‘olau crater. A magnitude-3.9 aftershock occurred at 10:51 a.m. and was located 4 km (2 miles) farther downrift than the magnitude-4.7 at a depth of 1 km (1 miles). These earthquakes are the largest so far in a flurry of earthquake in the upper east and southwest rift zones that started May 12, 2007. The earthquake flurry has not been accompanied by any unusual swelling of the summit or other signs of unusual summit activity. HVO is watching the situation closely.

Since 1998, a few earthquakes with magnitudes greater than 4.0 have occurred at shallow depths beneath the upper east rift zone. Today’s event was the largest in at least the last 50 years.