M3.8 Earthquake 46 km S of Lanai City, Hawaii — September 16, 2022
2022-09-16 16:19:55 UTC (2022-09-16) · approx. 6:19 AM UTC-10 local
Felt by 91 people across nearby locations.
On September 16, 2022 at 16:19 UTC, a magnitude 3.8 shallow crustal earthquake struck 46 km S of Lanai City, Hawaii, at a depth of 14.2 km and coordinates 20.4107°, -156.8652°. The earthquake was reported felt by 91 peopleacross nearby locations, with a maximum shaking intensity of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) 2.8 (weak). This earthquake was detected by 56 seismic stations with good location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 246, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 3.8 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 6.6 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 237 m — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
The epicenter is located in Hawaii, a region characterized by intraplate volcanic activity over the Hawaiian mantle plume hotspot, with seismicity driven by magma intrusion and flank instability. View all earthquakes in Hawaii.
Learn more: Magnitude scale · Aftershock sequences
ShakeMap — predicted shaking intensity
Modeled ground-motion intensity contoured on the Modified Mercalli scale (MMI). Computed by the USGS from the moment-tensor solution and regional ground-motion prediction equations.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey ShakeMap. View interactive ShakeMap on USGS
Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking
Aggregated felt-report intensity from 91 citizen responses to the USGS Did You Feel It? system. Each colored zone represents the average MMI from reports in that area.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey Did You Feel It?. View on USGS · submit your own report
Earthquake Details
-156.8652°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 3.8 earthquake near Lanai City, Hawaii?
The magnitude 3.8 earthquake that struck 46 km S of Lanai City, Hawaii on September 16, 2022 at 16:19 UTC had a depth of 14.2 km. It was felt by 91 people with maximum shaking intensity of MMI 2.8 (weak). For context, this was a minor earthquake typically detected only by instruments.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 20.4107°, -156.8652°, which is 46 km S of Lanai City, Hawaii. View all earthquakes in Hawaii.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 3.8 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.
Has Hawaii had earthquakes this big before?
The largest recorded earthquake in Hawaii was the M7.9 Ka'u District earthquake of April 2, 1868. Today's magnitude 3.8 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: hv73141587). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2022, September 16, 2022). M3.8 Earthquake 46 km S of Lanai City, Hawaii — September 16, 2022. Retrieved November 19, 2022 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/hv73141587/