M2.4 Earthquake 7 km SW of Pāhala, Hawaii — February 9, 2024
2024-02-09 21:49:21 UTC (2024-02-09) · approx. 11:49 AM UTC-10 local
Felt by 11 people across nearby locations. Aftershock of the M5.2 mainshock.
On February 9, 2024 at 21:49 UTC, a magnitude 2.4 shallow crustal earthquake struck 7 km SW of Pāhala, Hawaii, at a depth of 32.9 km and coordinates 19.1575°, -155.5342°. This earthquake was detected by 52 seismic stations with good location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 94, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 2.4 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 64.3 kg of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 28 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 5 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
Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking
Aggregated felt-report intensity from 11 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
-155.5342°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 2.4 earthquake near Pāhala, Hawaii?
The magnitude 2.4 earthquake that struck 7 km SW of Pāhala, Hawaii on February 9, 2024 at 21:49 UTC had a depth of 32.9 km. For context, this was a minor earthquake typically detected only by instruments.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 19.1575°, -155.5342°, which is 7 km SW of Pāhala, Hawaii. View all earthquakes in Hawaii.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 2.4 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 2.4 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 2.4 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: hv74103341). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2024, February 9, 2024). M2.4 Earthquake 7 km SW of Pāhala, Hawaii — February 9, 2024. Retrieved April 20, 2024 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/hv74103341/