M3.3 Earthquake 9 km ENE of Pahala, Hawaii — December 14, 2022
2022-12-14 21:45:38 UTC (2022-12-14) · approx. 11:45 AM UTC-10 local
On December 14, 2022 at 21:45 UTC, a magnitude 3.3 shallow crustal earthquake struck 9 km ENE of Pahala, Hawaii, at a depth of 33.6 km and coordinates 19.2083°, -155.3725°. The earthquake was reported felt by 7 peopleacross nearby locations, with a maximum shaking intensity of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) 4.0 (light).
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 3.3 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 1.2 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 107 m — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
This earthquake is part of an ongoing aftershock sequence following the magnitude 5.2 mainshock that occurred 24 days ago 42 km ESE of Naalehu, Hawaii. Since the mainshock, the USGS has recorded 22 aftershocks in this area. Aftershock activity is expected to continue for days to weeks as stresses on surrounding faults redistribute.
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 7 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
-155.3725°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 3.3 earthquake near Pahala, Hawaii?
The magnitude 3.3 earthquake that struck 9 km ENE of Pahala, Hawaii on December 14, 2022 at 21:45 UTC had a depth of 33.6 km. It was felt by 7 people with maximum shaking intensity of MMI 4.0 (light). For context, this was a minor earthquake typically detected only by instruments.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 3.3 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.
Is this the same earthquake as the M5.2 one earlier?
No. This magnitude 3.3 earthquake is an aftershock of the larger magnitude 5.2 mainshock that occurred earlier 42 km ESE of Naalehu, Hawaii. Aftershocks are smaller earthquakes triggered by stress changes from the mainshock.
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Understanding This Data
Magnitude 3.3 earthquakes are typically only recorded by instruments.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: hv73269642). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2022, December 14, 2022). M3.3 Earthquake 9 km ENE of Pahala, Hawaii — December 14, 2022. Retrieved February 18, 2023 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/hv73269642/