A magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck the western flank of Hawaii’s Mauna Loa volcano late Friday, rattling the Big Island and prompting immediate safety assessments across the archipelago. The United States Geological Survey reported the tremor hit at 9:46 p.m. local time on May 22.
The epicenter was located approximately 7.5 miles south of Hōnaunau-Nāpōʻopoʻo at a depth of roughly 14 to 15 miles below sea level. The U.S. Tsunami Warning System and Hawaiʻi County Civil Defense quickly confirmed the quake did not trigger a tsunami threat, avoiding the broader alerts sometimes issued across the Pacific Basin following deep-sea tremors.
The shaking was felt extensively across the island chain. The USGS logged over 2,600 Felt Reports within the first 30 minutes. While the most intense shaking occurred in the Kailua-Kona region where minor structural damage was considered possible, individuals as far away as Wahiawā on Oʻahu and the island of Kauaʻi reported feeling the earthquake.
A weaker magnitude 3.2 aftershock followed about six minutes after the initial shock. Local emergency scanner communications indicated no immediate changes to volcanic activity at Mauna Loa.