Magnitude 3.8 earthquake strikes near Kilauea
A magnitude 3.8 earthquake, followed by a magnitude 3.5 aftershock struck near Kilauea volcano this afternoon.
The larger temblor struck at 12:17 p.m. at a depth of about 1.9 miles. It was centered about 4 miles south of Volcano and 25.6 miles south-southwest of Hilo in the upper east rift zone of Kilauea volcano.
People reported feeling the earthquake in Volcano and the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, according to the U.S. Geological Survey’s “Did you feel it?” website.
An aftershock of magnitude 3.5 hit at 1:12 p.m. at a depth of 1.3 miles in about the same location.
Janet Babb, a spokeswoman for the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, said earthquakes in the upper east rift zone are generally related to the underground movement of magma.