M3.3 Earthquake 0 km NE of P?hala, Hawaii — May 7, 2023
2023-05-07 17:35:26 UTC (2023-05-07) · approx. 7:35 AM UTC-10 local
Felt by 22 people across nearby locations. Aftershock of the M5.2 mainshock.
On May 7, 2023 at 17:35 UTC, a magnitude 3.3 shallow crustal earthquake struck 0 km NE of P?hala, Hawaii, at a depth of 39.3 km and coordinates 19.2063°, -155.4757°. The earthquake was reported felt by 22 peopleacross nearby locations, with a maximum shaking intensity of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) 4.0 (light). This earthquake was detected by 50 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 175, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 3.3 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 1.4 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 116 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 18 days ago 42 km ESE of Naalehu, Hawaii. Since the mainshock, the USGS has recorded 23 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 22 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
-155.4757°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 3.3 earthquake near P?hala, Hawaii?
The magnitude 3.3 earthquake that struck 0 km NE of P?hala, Hawaii on May 7, 2023 at 17:35 UTC had a depth of 39.3 km. It was felt by 22 people with maximum shaking intensity of MMI 4.0 (light). For context, this was a minor earthquake typically detected only by instruments.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 19.2063°, -155.4757°, which is 0 km NE of P?hala, Hawaii. View all earthquakes in Hawaii.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 3.3 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.
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 3.3 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: hv73391792). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2023, May 7, 2023). M3.3 Earthquake 0 km NE of P?hala, Hawaii — May 7, 2023. Retrieved July 22, 2023 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/hv73391792/