An earthquake at an active deep-sea volcano off the coast of Hawaii has shaken the Big Island.
The U.S. Geological Survey’s Hawaii Volcano Observatory reported that a magnitude 4.0 earthquake struck Wednesday night beneath the submerged volcano Loihi, about 32 km southwest of the island of Hawaii, also known as the Big Island. It occurred at a depth of 11 kilometers.
U.S. Geological Survey officials reported that moderate shaking was felt on the Big Island, but no significant damage is expected at this intensity. The earthquake did not cause a tsunami and had no noticeable impact on neighboring volcanoes Kilauea and Mauna Loa.
“We don’t see any noticeable change in activity on the peaks or along the Loihi, Kilauea or Mauna Loa rift zones as a result of this earthquake,” said Ken Hong, chief scientist at the U.S. Geological Survey’s Hawaii Volcano Observatory. “There are possible aftershocks that could be felt.”
Here’s a list of earthquake sequences:
M4.0 – 42 km east-east of Naalehu, Hawaii
M2.9 – 47 km southeast of Naalehu, Hawaii.
M3.1 – 47 km east-southeast of Naalehu, Hawaii
M2.8 – 45 km east-southeast of Naalehu, Hawaii
M2.9 – 42 km east-southeast of Naalehu, Hawaii
Loihi is an active volcano with a summit located about 975 meters below the surface of the Pacific Ocean. There are three craters near the summit, and scientists believe there is a shallow magma chamber below the surface.
Loihi will probably one day come to the surface of the ocean and become a new island. Scientists can’t predict how long it will take, since it depends on the speed of the eruption.
