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Location:
15 km ESE of Pāhala, Hawaii
Period:
8 Feb 2024 16:14:59 - 13 Feb 2024 10:00:12 (4 days 17 hours 45 minutes)
Volcanoes in 100km radius:
Kama'ehuakanaloa(27km), Kilauea(36km), Mauna Loa(43km), Mauna Kea(77km), Hualalai(78km)
Earthquakes:
200
37 swarms found nearby.
2014
VS20140514.1(29.8km)
13 May
4 days 23 hours
58 earthquakes
2015
S20151016.1(29.9km)
15 Oct
3 days 4 hours
45 earthquakes
S20151025.1(11.4km)
24 Oct
3 days 14 hours
70 earthquakes
2017
S20170629.1(28.6km)
29 Jun
2 days 9 hours
51 earthquakes
2018
VS20180417.1(27.5km)
16 Apr
1 day 23 hours
40 earthquakes
S20180502.1(10.9km)
1 May
8 days 9 hours
196 earthquakes
S20180505.2(15.0km)
4 May
3 days 4 hours
153 earthquakes
S20180703.3(11.9km)
2 Jul
2 days 1 hours
30 earthquakes
2019
18 Aug
17 days 16 hours
217 earthquakes
S20191114.1(11.6km)
13 Nov
27 days 22 hours
335 earthquakes
2020
S20200104.1(11.1km)
3 Jan
106 days 22 hours
1689 earthquakes
S20200504.1(11.5km)
4 May
73 days 12 hours
948 earthquakes
S20200723.2(10.2km)
22 Jul
18 days 5 hours
194 earthquakes
S20200821.1(10.7km)
20 Aug
33 days 8 hours
392 earthquakes
20 Oct
2 days 12 hours
37 earthquakes
2 Nov
28 days 6 hours
288 earthquakes
24 Dec
39 days 23 hours
662 earthquakes
2021
S20210205.1(16.5km)
4 Feb
25 days 20 hours
475 earthquakes
2 Mar
443 days 21 hours
9245 earthquakes
30 Aug
2 days 9 hours
94 earthquakes
2022
27 May
7 days 0 hours
110 earthquakes
S20220620.1(20.5km)
19 Jun
244 days 22 hours
3458 earthquakes
2023
23 Mar
60 days 21 hours
740 earthquakes
27 May
7 days 18 hours
89 earthquakes
VS20230822.1(29.0km)
21 Aug
21 days 21 hours
552 earthquakes
VS20231005.1(29.9km)
4 Oct
7 days 22 hours
244 earthquakes
S20231021.1(11.1km)
20 Oct
11 days 13 hours
165 earthquakes
VS20231202.1(20.6km)
1 Dec
2 days 5 hours
49 earthquakes
S20231208.1(21.9km)
7 Dec
2 days 13 hours
59 earthquakes
VS20231229.1(19.4km)
28 Dec
4 days 20 hours
173 earthquakes
2024
VS20240127.1(11.3km)
27 Jan
30 days 9 hours
1836 earthquakes
S20240313.1(11.8km)
12 Mar
6 days 16 hours
103 earthquakes
20 Jul
33 days 8 hours
1535 earthquakes
3 Dec
7 days 5 hours
138 earthquakes
19 Dec
1 day 19 hours
42 earthquakes
2026
VS20260115.1(18.5km)
14 Jan
7 days 3 hours
84 earthquakes
30 Jun
2 days 1 hours
35 earthquakes
AI-generated article — for informational and entertainment purposes only. May contain inaccuracies. Full disclaimerFound an error?

Seismic Swarm S20240209.1: Analysis of Activity Near Pāhala, Hawaii

Seismic swarm S20240209.1 occurred 15 km east-southeast of Pāhala on Hawaii's Big Island. The sequence began at 16:14 on 8 February 2024 and concluded at 10:00 on 13 February 2024, spanning 113 hours and 45 minutes. A total of 200 earthquakes were recorded during this period.

The first 100 events displayed magnitudes ranging from 1.5 to 5.8. Depths clustered predominantly between 28 km and 37 km, with a notable subset occurring at or near 0 km depth. Key events included a magnitude 5.8 earthquake at 20:06 on 9 February at 36 km depth, accompanied by several magnitude 3.0–3.4 aftershocks within minutes. Earlier activity featured smaller events around magnitude 2.0–2.7 at depths near 30 km. The sequence showed a concentration of events on 9 February, with repeated pairs of similar-timed quakes at varying depths.

This swarm aligns with patterns observed in Hawaii's volcanic systems, where seismic activity frequently results from magma movement, crustal stress changes, and fault interactions along the island's south flank. Pāhala lies in a region influenced by the active Kīlauea and Mauna Loa volcanoes, part of the Hawaiian hotspot chain. The underlying geology features oceanic crust overlying a mantle plume, producing frequent basaltic eruptions and associated seismicity. Depths around 30 km correspond to the lower crust and upper mantle transition zone, where magma reservoirs often trigger swarms through pressurization or dike propagation.

Historical records since 2000 indicate 31 prior swarms in the area. These occurred in 2014 (1 swarm), 2015 (2), 2017 (1), 2018 (4), 2019 (2), 2020 (7), 2021 (3), 2022 (2), 2023 (8), and 2024 (1). Such recurrent activity underscores the dynamic nature of Hawaii's volcanic flank, where slow slip events and microseismicity are common.

The February 2024 swarm's mix of deep and shallow events suggests complex interactions between magmatic and tectonic processes. No significant surface deformation or eruptive activity was directly linked in available monitoring summaries, though continued vigilance remains essential in this high-hazard zone.

References

  • SeismoSight internal swarm classification database (S20240209.1 parameters and event list).
  • USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geological summaries on Big Island seismicity and hotspot volcanism.