Why are earthquakes happening deep beneath Pāhala?

USGSVolcano Education
Written By Philip Ong

"Why are earthquakes happening deep beneath Pāhala?" USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory seismologist Ninfa Bennington

Since 2019, earthquakes have been occurring frequently in the region 12–25 miles below the town of Pāhala. Many of these earthquakes are felt by residents in the area, and the larger events are felt throughout the Island of Hawaiʻi. In 2022, scientists at the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory worked with members of the community to deploy nearly 100 earthquake-detecting devices in the Pāhala area in an effort learn more about what is causing these events. Join USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory earthquake specialist Ninfa Bennington as she describes this ongoing earthquake activity and explains the experiment underway to determine if these events deep beneath Pāhala are related to volcanic activity at Kīlauea.

Recorded by HVERI on Thursday, January 18, 2024

Philip Ong
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