M5.2 Earthquake 42 km ESE of Naalehu, Hawaii — August 12, 2026
2026-08-12 03:48:33 UTC (1 hour ago) · approx. 5:48 PM UTC-10 local
Felt by 56 people across nearby locations.
On August 12, 2026 at 03:48 UTC, a magnitude 5.2 shallow crustal earthquake struck 42 km ESE of Naalehu, Hawaii, at a depth of 10.7 km and coordinates 18.8790°, -155.2333°. The earthquake was reported felt by 56 peopleacross nearby locations, 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 60 seismic stations with moderate location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 437, placing it among routine seismic activity. The nearest populated place is Pahala (population 2,210).
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.2 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 951 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 2.3 km — 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 56 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 | 178,446 |
| MMI 4 | light | 3,439 |
Earthquake Details
-155.2333°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.2 earthquake near Naalehu, Hawaii?
The magnitude 5.2 earthquake that struck 42 km ESE of Naalehu, Hawaii on August 12, 2026 at 03:48 UTC had a depth of 10.7 km. It was felt by 56 people with maximum shaking intensity of MMI 3.9 (light). For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 18.8790°, -155.2333°, which is 42 km ESE of Naalehu, Hawaii. The nearest populated place is Pahala (population 2,210). View all earthquakes in Hawaii.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.2 earthquakes can continue for days to weeks 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 5.2 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: hv75018296). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2026, August 12, 2026). M5.2 Earthquake 42 km ESE of Naalehu, Hawaii — August 12, 2026. Retrieved August 12, 2026 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/hv75018296/