Earthquake Swarm VS20220110.1: Seismic Activity Southwest of Volcano, Hawaii
An earthquake swarm designated VS20220110.1 occurred 5 km southwest of Volcano, Hawaii, on the Big Island. The sequence began at 18:59 on 9 January 2022 and concluded at 04:29 on 15 January 2022, spanning 129 hours and 29 minutes. During this period, 182 earthquakes were recorded.
Analysis of the first 100 events reveals predominantly low-magnitude activity. Magnitudes ranged from 0.7 to 2.5, with the majority falling between 1.0 and 1.7. Depths clustered around 10–13 km, though several events occurred at shallower levels of 0–4 km. The swarm initiated with events near 12 km depth before transitioning to include more shallow activity after 21:00 on 10 January. Peak magnitudes reached 2.5 at 2 km depth, followed by sustained sequences of 1.4–1.8 events at mid-crustal depths.
This activity aligns with the volcanic and tectonic setting of Kilauea volcano. The region lies within the East Rift Zone, where magma movement and associated stress changes routinely generate earthquake swarms. Historical records indicate 75 swarms in the area since 1 January 2000. Annual counts show notable variability: 2000 recorded 3 swarms, 2003 had 8, 2018 registered 9, and 2020 experienced the highest total with 13. The 2022 swarm represents the first of that year.
Seismic swarms in this locale typically reflect fluid migration or pressure changes beneath the volcano rather than large tectonic fault slip. Depths between 8–16 km correspond to the zone of magma storage and transport beneath Kilauea, while shallower events may relate to surface fracturing or rift-zone adjustments.
The swarm’s duration and event count are consistent with prior episodes linked to volcanic unrest. No significant surface deformation or eruptive activity was associated with this particular sequence based on available monitoring data.
References
USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory earthquake catalog
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park geological summaries
SeismoSight internal swarm classification records