HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY INFORMATION STATEMENT

U.S. Geological Survey

Friday, May 22, 2026, 10:42 PM HST (Saturday, May 23, 2026, 08:42 UTC)

Hawaiian Volcano Observatory Volcano Observatory

Summary: Magnitude-6.0 earthquake near Hōnaunau-Nāpōʻopoʻo, Island of Hawaiʻi; widely felt through Hawaiian island chain and potentially damaging

HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY INFORMATION STATEMENT

On Friday, May 22, 9:46 p.m. HST, a magnitude-6.0 earthquake occurred 7 mi (12 km) south of Hōnaunau-Nāpōʻopoʻo on the Island of Hawaiʻi at a depth of 14 mi (22 km) below sea level. The earthquake had no apparent impact on either Mauna Loa or Kīlauea volcanoes.

The depth, location, and recorded seismic waves of the earthquake suggest that it was caused by stress due to bending of the oceanic plate from the weight of the Hawaiian island chain; the earthquake was not directly related to volcanic processes.…