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Location:
27 km E of Honaunau-Napoopoo, Hawaii
Period:
1 May 2015 11:32:49 - 8 May 2015 05:48:35 (6 days 18 hours 15 minutes)
Volcanoes in 100km radius:
Mauna Loa(4km), Kilauea(32km), Hualalai(40km), Mauna Kea(43km), Kama'ehuakanaloa(67km)
Earthquakes:
118
34 swarms found nearby.
2004
28 Aug
24 days 12 hours
397 earthquakes
11 Oct
19 days 12 hours
360 earthquakes
VS20041103.1(29.1km)
2 Nov
1 day 1 hours
30 earthquakes
9 Nov
24 days 3 hours
334 earthquakes
14 Dec
15 days 10 hours
342 earthquakes
2006
VS20060312.1(20.8km)
11 Mar
3 days 5 hours
41 earthquakes
2012
VS20120223.1(29.0km)
22 Feb
3 days 4 hours
80 earthquakes
2015
23 Jul
23 hours
34 earthquakes
S20151025.1(29.1km)
24 Oct
3 days 14 hours
70 earthquakes
2016
3 Jul
6 days 16 hours
84 earthquakes
2017
7 Apr
4 days 14 hours
129 earthquakes
VS20170416.1(11.3km)
15 Apr
1 day 20 hours
56 earthquakes
2018
S20180703.3(28.2km)
2 Jul
2 days 1 hours
30 earthquakes
2020
S20200302.1(16.9km)
1 Mar
4 days 18 hours
82 earthquakes
S20200723.2(29.9km)
22 Jul
18 days 5 hours
194 earthquakes
4 Dec
5 days 13 hours
110 earthquakes
2021
28 Feb
4 days 16 hours
47 earthquakes
S20210318.1(18.9km)
18 Mar
2 days 15 hours
113 earthquakes
29 Mar
8 days 10 hours
279 earthquakes
7 Apr
12 days 0 hours
300 earthquakes
S20210927.3(25.3km)
27 Sep
4 days 6 hours
168 earthquakes
2022
VS20220116.1(25.7km)
15 Jan
1 day 4 hours
26 earthquakes
3 Feb
5 days 5 hours
170 earthquakes
S20220620.1(28.9km)
19 Jun
244 days 22 hours
3458 earthquakes
2 Aug
3 days 9 hours
131 earthquakes
23 Sep
14 days 19 hours
375 earthquakes
VS20221128.1(12.3km)
27 Nov
11 days 2 hours
416 earthquakes
VS20221231.1(26.6km)
30 Dec
3 days 6 hours
44 earthquakes
2023
VS20231202.1(27.6km)
1 Dec
2 days 5 hours
49 earthquakes
S20231208.1(28.8km)
7 Dec
2 days 13 hours
59 earthquakes
VS20231229.1(27.8km)
28 Dec
4 days 20 hours
173 earthquakes
2024
VS20240127.1(29.1km)
27 Jan
30 days 9 hours
1836 earthquakes
S20240313.1(29.2km)
12 Mar
6 days 16 hours
103 earthquakes
2026
VS20260115.1(28.1km)
14 Jan
7 days 3 hours
84 earthquakes
AI-generated article — for informational and entertainment purposes only. May contain inaccuracies. Full disclaimerFound an error?

Seismic Swarm VS20150502.1 Near Honaunau-Napoopoo, Hawaii

Seismic swarm VS20150502.1 was recorded from 11:32 on 1 May 2015 to 05:48 on 8 May 2015, centered 27 km east of Honaunau-Napoopoo on Hawaii's Big Island. Over 162 hours and 15 minutes, the swarm produced 118 earthquakes. This activity occurred within the tectonically dynamic environment of the Hawaiian Islands, where the Pacific Plate moves over a mantle hotspot, fueling ongoing volcanism at Kilauea and Mauna Loa.

The Big Island's geology features active shield volcanoes built by basaltic lava flows. Seismic swarms commonly arise from magma movement through rift zones or crustal adjustments along faults. Depths in this swarm ranged primarily from surface level to 8 km, consistent with shallow volcanic processes rather than deeper tectonic events. Negative depth values in the data reflect measurement conventions or minor locational uncertainties typical in volcanic monitoring.

Analysis of the first events shows predominantly low-magnitude activity. The initial quake registered magnitude 0.6 at 11:32 on 1 May at 0 km depth, followed shortly by a 2.5-magnitude event at 2 km. Subsequent events through early May maintained magnitudes mostly between 0.1 and 2.7, with several reaching 2.5–2.7 on 1–2 May. Depths clustered near 0–2 km, indicating very shallow sources, while occasional deeper readings up to 8 km appeared sporadically. By 5 May, events such as the 1.9-magnitude quake at 16:48 remained characteristic of the swarm's modest energy release.

This pattern aligns with historical seismic behavior in the region. Since 2000, seven swarms have occurred near the area, including five in 2004, one in 2006, and one in 2012. Such recurrent activity underscores the persistent influence of magmatic and volcanic forces on local seismicity.

The swarm's timing and characteristics provide insight into short-term crustal stress changes without evidence of escalation to larger tectonic quakes. Continued monitoring by networks such as the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory supports understanding of these events within the broader context of hotspot-driven island evolution.

References

  • Internal SeismoSight classification data for swarm VS20150502.1
  • USGS geological summaries of Hawaiian volcanism and seismicity