On Friday Morning a Significant M5.7 Earthquake struck near Hilo in The United States.

Written by Earthquakelist.org on February 9th, 2024. Last updated April 9th, 2024.

In the morning of Friday February 9th, 2024, a significant MAG-5.7 earthquake hit under land 46 miles from Hilo in The United States. Around 360 thousand people have been exposed to shaking.

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Earthquake Summary

The earthquake struck on land in The United States, 46 miles (74 km) southwest of Hilo in Hawaii. The center of this earthquake had a quite shallow depth of 23 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.

Date and Time:	Feb 9, 2024 10:06AM (Honolulu Time) - Feb 9, 2024 20:06 Universal Time.
Location:	46 mi SW of Hilo, Hawaii, The United States. Coordinates 19°11'12"N 155°29'35"W.
Map:	Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps.
Magnitude:	MAG 5.7 Detected by 13 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.042 .
Depth:	23 mi (37 km) A quite shallow depth.
Max. Intensity:	VIII Severe On the Modified Mercalli Scale.
Tsunami Risk:	Tsunami very unlikely While this was a shallow earthquake in a coastal area, it appears to have occurred under land (3 mi from the sea) with a magnitude that is usually not strong enough to cause tsunami's. Always stay cautious - More info here.

Minimal impact predicted

Based on scientific estimates by the US Geographic Survey (USGS), the risk of high fatalities for this earthquake is classified at level GREEN (low). They expect an 69% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 fatalities, and a 98% chance that the number of fatalities falls no higher than 10.

The USGS classifies the economic impact of this earthquake at level GREEN (low). They expect an 95% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 million US Dollars in economic damage and impact.

Roughly 360 thousand people exposed to shaking

The USGS has published a report estimating the number of people exposed to this earthquake. Acoording to their analysis, roughly 360 thousand have been exposed to shaking at an MMI level of II or higher.

Very strong shaking and likely moderate damage may have been experienced by an estimated 80 people. At VII, it is the highest MMI level this earthquake has caused. Intensity level III was experienced by a large group of people (around 160 thousand). In their region, weak shaking and probably no damage can be expected.

Nearby towns and cities

This earthquake may have been felt in The United States . The closest significant population center near the earthquake is Hilo in Hawaii, The United States. Hilo is located 46 miles (74 km) southwest of the epicenter. Hilo experienced an earthquake intensity (MMI Scale) of roughly V. That level implies moderate shaking and very light damage.

The table below provides an overview of all places in proximity of today's earthquake. Where available, the estimated intensity on the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale in each place is included. Places where this information is omitted likely experienced little impact.

Overview of nearby places

Earthquake Intensity Map

The maximum intensity (MMI Scale) caused by this earthquake is VII. The map below shows in which areas this earthquake was the most and least impactful. It is based on data from the US Geographic Survey.

I Not felt

II Weak

III Weak

IV Light

V Moderate

VI Strong

VII Very Strong

VIII Severe

IX Violent

X Extreme

31 Aftershocks detected

After this earthquake struck, 31 smaller aftershocks occurred. A 3.8 magnitude earthquake hit 3 days later 8 mi (14 km) east-northeast of this earthquake.

This main shock was prefaced by 11 smaller foreshocks. A 3.1 magnitude earthquake hit 5 hrs earlier nearby.

Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks

More earthquakes coming?

The risk of aftershocks decreases rapidly over time. Usually, aftershocks are at least one order of magnitude lower than a main shock.

The chance that a significant earthquake like this one is followed by an even larger earthquake is not so large. On average, scientists estimate a 94% chance that a major earthquake will not be followed by an even larger one. It is still adviced to be aware of this risk

This is an unusually powerful earthquake

Earthquakes of this strength are not so common in the region, but it's not the first time. This is the strongest earthquake to hit since October 10th, 2021, when a 6.2 magnitude earthquake hit 25 mi (41 km) further south. An even stronger magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck on May 4th, 2018.

In total, 2 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.7 or higher have been registered within 300km (186 mi) of this epicenter in the past 10 years. This comes down to an average of once every 5 years.

Tsunami very unlikely

While MAG-6.5+ earthquakes may cause tsunami's, it appears that the epicenter of this earthquake hit under land. In addition, the reported depth is deeper than 100km, making the risk of a tsunami even less likely. However always stay cautious and monitor advice from local authorities.

Tsunami Risk Factors

Sources

Last updated 09/04/24 06:48 (). This article is automatically generated based on available data. We keep checking multiple sources for additional information. This article gets updated as new details on this earthquake become available.

1. US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake hv74103036
2. European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20240209_0000316
3. Geonames.org: World Cities Database
4. Google Maps: Static API
5. Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database

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