M4.0 Earthquake 17 km WNW of Volcano, Hawaii — November 30, 2024
2024-11-30 18:40:35 UTC (2024-11-30) · approx. 8:40 AM UTC-10 local
Felt by 104 people across surrounding communities.
On November 30, 2024 at 18:40 UTC, a magnitude 4.0 shallow crustal earthquake struck 17 km WNW of Volcano, Hawaii, at a depth of 20.6 km and coordinates 19.4798°, -155.3975°. The earthquake was reported felt by 104 peopleacross surrounding communities, with a maximum shaking intensity of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) 3.9 (light). The USGS PAGER system issued a green alert level for this event, indicating no significant casualties or damage expected. This earthquake was detected by 63 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 289, placing it among routine seismic activity. The nearest populated place is Volcano (population 2,575).
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.0 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 16 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 358 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
Nearest Populated Places
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 104 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
Population exposure (USGS PAGER)
Estimated population that experienced each level of shaking. Based on the USGS PAGER rapid impact assessment, which combines ShakeMap output with global population grids.
| Shaking intensity (MMI) | Description | Population exposed |
|---|---|---|
| MMI 3 | weak | 118,694 |
| MMI 4 | light | 10 |
Earthquake Details
-155.3975°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.0 earthquake near Volcano, Hawaii?
The magnitude 4.0 earthquake that struck 17 km WNW of Volcano, Hawaii on November 30, 2024 at 18:40 UTC had a depth of 20.6 km. It was felt by 104 people with maximum shaking intensity of MMI 3.9 (light). For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 19.4798°, -155.3975°, which is 17 km WNW of Volcano, Hawaii. The nearest populated place is Volcano (population 2,575). View all earthquakes in Hawaii.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 4.0 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 4.0 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: hv74548332). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2024, November 30, 2024). M4.0 Earthquake 17 km WNW of Volcano, Hawaii — November 30, 2024. Retrieved February 2, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/hv74548332/