M3.4 Earthquake 13 km ESE of P?hala, Hawaii — February 14, 2023
2023-02-14 16:42:31 UTC (2023-02-14) · approx. 6:42 AM UTC-10 local
Felt by 14 people across nearby locations. Aftershock of the M5.2 mainshock.
On February 14, 2023 at 16:42 UTC, a magnitude 3.4 shallow crustal earthquake struck 13 km ESE of P?hala, Hawaii, at a depth of 29.8 km and coordinates 19.1487°, -155.3630°. The earthquake was reported felt by 14 peopleacross nearby locations, with a maximum shaking intensity of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) 3.7 (light). This earthquake was detected by 45 seismic stations with moderate location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 181, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 3.4 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 1.8 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 129 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 21 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.
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 14 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
-155.3630°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 3.4 earthquake near P?hala, Hawaii?
The magnitude 3.4 earthquake that struck 13 km ESE of P?hala, Hawaii on February 14, 2023 at 16:42 UTC had a depth of 29.8 km. It was felt by 14 people with maximum shaking intensity of MMI 3.7 (light). For context, this was a minor earthquake typically detected only by instruments.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 19.1487°, -155.3630°, which is 13 km ESE of P?hala, Hawaii. View all earthquakes in Hawaii.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 3.4 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 3.4 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.
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 3.4 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: hv73324412). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2023, February 14, 2023). M3.4 Earthquake 13 km ESE of P?hala, Hawaii — February 14, 2023. Retrieved April 22, 2023 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/hv73324412/