Hawaii earthquakes

M2.9 earthquake 11 km E of Hilo, Hawaii

A magnitude 2.9 earthquake struck 11 km E of Hilo, Hawaii on Thu, Aug 20, 1981, 7:22 AM HST (17:22 UTC), 37 km (23 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M4.1 15 km S of Volcano, Hawaii. This one was a foreshock.

Hilo forecastMore in Hawaii

Map

Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.

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The earthquake

Magnitude
2.9 (ML, local (Richter)), micro
Magnitude from
Hawaiian Volcano Observatory
Local time
UTC
1981-08-20 17:22:22 UTC
Depth
37.4 km (23.2 mi), shallow
Epicenter
19.744° N, 154.981° W
Region
Hawaii
Tsunami flag
No
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

Did you feel it?

No one has reported feeling this quake to the USGS.

How well it is located

Reviewed by a seismologist.

Location uncertainty
About 0.7 km horizontally, 1.4 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty
±0.14
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
214°, poorly surrounded by stations
Stations used
46

Nearest places

Distance and direction from each place to the epicenter, with its forecast.

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 199 in the 60 days after this one and at least 200 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 2.914 km S of Volcano, Hawaii · 16479 days ago · 8 km deep · 54 km away
  2. 1.715 km NE of P?hala, Hawaii · 16479 days ago · 6 km deep · 64 km away
  3. 2.78 km SSE of Pa‘auilo, Hawaii · 16479 days ago · 11 km deep · 46 km away
  4. 2.115 km S of Fern Forest, Hawaii · 16479 days ago · 7 km deep · 49 km away
  5. 2.87 km SSE of Pa‘auilo, Hawaii · 16479 days ago · 11 km deep · 46 km away
  6. 1.912 km SSE of Volcano, Hawaii · 16478 days ago · 6 km deep · 51 km away
  7. 1.915 km S of Volcano, Hawaii · 16478 days ago · 6 km deep · 55 km away
  8. 1.613 km S of Volcano, Hawaii · 16478 days ago · 8 km deep · 53 km away
  9. 2.013 km NE of P?hala, Hawaii · 16478 days ago · 6 km deep · 67 km away
  10. 1.613 km SSE of Volcano, Hawaii · 16478 days ago · 4 km deep · 53 km away
  11. 2.87 km SSE of Pa‘auilo, Hawaii · 16477 days ago · 10 km deep · 45 km away
  12. 2.114 km SE of Fern Forest, Hawaii · 16477 days ago · 8 km deep · 44 km away
  13. 1.814 km S of Volcano, Hawaii · 16477 days ago · 5 km deep · 54 km away
  14. 1.515 km S of Fern Forest, Hawaii · 16477 days ago · 8 km deep · 49 km away
  15. 1.611 km SSE of Volcano, Hawaii · 16477 days ago · 8 km deep · 51 km away
  16. 1.917 km ENE of P?hala, Hawaii · 16477 days ago · 6 km deep · 63 km away
  17. 2.112 km SSE of Eden Roc, Hawaii · 16477 days ago · 8 km deep · 40 km away
  18. 2.27 km WSW of P?hala, Hawaii · 16477 days ago · 5 km deep · 86 km away
  19. 2.313 km SSE of Volcano, Hawaii · 16476 days ago · 8 km deep · 53 km away
  20. 2.013 km NE of P?hala, Hawaii · 16476 days ago · 4 km deep · 66 km away
  21. 2.016 km ENE of P?hala, Hawaii · 16476 days ago · 6 km deep · 63 km away
  22. 2.416 km NE of P?hala, Hawaii · 16476 days ago · 8 km deep · 64 km away
  23. 2.111 km SSE of Volcano, Hawaii · 16475 days ago · 7 km deep · 51 km away
  24. 1.815 km S of Fern Forest, Hawaii · 16474 days ago · 7 km deep · 49 km away
  25. 2.122 km N of P?hala, Hawaii · 16474 days ago · 5 km deep · 66 km away
  26. 2.113 km S of Volcano, Hawaii · 16474 days ago · 6 km deep · 54 km away
  27. 2.211 km ENE of Honaunau-Napoopoo, Hawaii · 16474 days ago · 6 km deep · 87 km away
  28. 2.012 km ENE of P?hala, Hawaii · 16474 days ago · 5 km deep · 68 km away
  29. 2.416 km NE of P?hala, Hawaii · 16474 days ago · 6 km deep · 64 km away
  30. 2.015 km ENE of P?hala, Hawaii · 16474 days ago · 6 km deep · 65 km away
  31. 2.111 km SSE of Fern Forest, Hawaii · 16474 days ago · 7 km deep · 43 km away
  32. 1.812 km SSE of Volcano, Hawaii · 16473 days ago · 6 km deep · 52 km away
  33. 2.614 km S of Volcano, Hawaii · 16473 days ago · 8 km deep · 56 km away
  34. 2.013 km ENE of P?hala, Hawaii · 16473 days ago · 6 km deep · 68 km away
  35. 1.516 km SW of Leilani Estates, Hawaii · 16473 days ago · 7 km deep · 43 km away
  36. 2.011 km ENE of P?hala, Hawaii · 16473 days ago · 7 km deep · 69 km away
  37. 1.913 km S of Volcano, Hawaii · 16473 days ago · 6 km deep · 53 km away
  38. 1.819 km SSW of Leilani Estates, Hawaii · 16473 days ago · 36 km deep · 48 km away
  39. 2.0Island of Hawaii, Hawaii · 16472 days ago · 7 km deep · 63 km away
  40. 2.714 km NE of P?hala, Hawaii · 16472 days ago · 5 km deep · 65 km away
  41. 2.316 km NE of P?hala, Hawaii · 16472 days ago · 8 km deep · 64 km away
  42. 2.015 km NE of P?hala, Hawaii · 16472 days ago · 6 km deep · 64 km away
  43. 1.96 km SW of Volcano, Hawaii · 16472 days ago · 0 km deep · 49 km away
  44. 2.23 km SW of Volcano, Hawaii · 16472 days ago · 0 km deep · 46 km away
  45. 2.412 km SSE of Fern Forest, Hawaii · 16471 days ago · 8 km deep · 43 km away
  46. 2.214 km SSE of Volcano, Hawaii · 16471 days ago · 8 km deep · 52 km away
  47. 1.714 km SSE of Volcano, Hawaii · 16470 days ago · 7 km deep · 50 km away
  48. 2.011 km NE of P?hala, Hawaii · 16470 days ago · 3 km deep · 68 km away
  49. 2.516 km S of Volcano, Hawaii · 16470 days ago · 9 km deep · 55 km away
  50. 1.614 km SW of Leilani Estates, Hawaii · 16470 days ago · 7 km deep · 40 km away
  51. 2.618 km SSW of Pa‘auilo, Hawaii · 16470 days ago · 26 km deep · 48 km away
  52. 2.315 km S of Volcano, Hawaii · 16470 days ago · 9 km deep · 55 km away
  53. 1.915 km S of Volcano, Hawaii · 16470 days ago · 7 km deep · 56 km away
  54. 2.014 km ENE of P?hala, Hawaii · 16470 days ago · 7 km deep · 65 km away
  55. 2.013 km SE of Fern Forest, Hawaii · 16469 days ago · 8 km deep · 41 km away
  56. 2.517 km SSW of Volcano, Hawaii · 16469 days ago · 9 km deep · 59 km away
  57. 2.114 km SSE of Volcano, Hawaii · 16469 days ago · 8 km deep · 51 km away
  58. 2.013 km SSE of Volcano, Hawaii · 16469 days ago · 6 km deep · 51 km away
  59. 1.915 km S of Volcano, Hawaii · 16469 days ago · 7 km deep · 56 km away
  60. 2.012 km SSE of Volcano, Hawaii · 16469 days ago · 8 km deep · 51 km away

The first 60 of 199.

Before

  1. 1.617 km W of Volcano, Hawaii · 16479 days ago · 8 km deep · 56 km away
  2. 1.717 km SSW of Volcano, Hawaii · 16479 days ago · 32 km deep · 60 km away
  3. 2.012 km NE of P?hala, Hawaii · 16480 days ago · 5 km deep · 67 km away
  4. 2.014 km SSE of Volcano, Hawaii · 16480 days ago · 8 km deep · 51 km away
  5. 1.816 km S of Fern Forest, Hawaii · 16480 days ago · 7 km deep · 51 km away
  6. 1.925 km E of Honaunau-Napoopoo, Hawaii · 16480 days ago · 0 km deep · 75 km away
  7. 1.514 km S of Volcano, Hawaii · 16480 days ago · 7 km deep · 56 km away
  8. 2.014 km S of Fern Forest, Hawaii · 16480 days ago · 7 km deep · 49 km away
  9. 3.614 km S of Fern Forest, Hawaii · 16480 days ago · 9 km deep · 49 km away
  10. 1.614 km S of Volcano, Hawaii · 16480 days ago · 5 km deep · 54 km away
  11. 1.517 km S of Volcano, Hawaii · 16481 days ago · 5 km deep · 58 km away
  12. 2.013 km NE of P?hala, Hawaii · 16481 days ago · 7 km deep · 67 km away
  13. 1.917 km NE of P?hala, Hawaii · 16481 days ago · 4 km deep · 63 km away
  14. 1.86 km SW of Volcano, Hawaii · 16481 days ago · 0 km deep · 49 km away
  15. 1.613 km SSE of Volcano, Hawaii · 16482 days ago · 7 km deep · 52 km away
  16. 1.714 km SSE of Volcano, Hawaii · 16482 days ago · 6 km deep · 52 km away
  17. 1.812 km SSE of Volcano, Hawaii · 16482 days ago · 8 km deep · 51 km away
  18. 1.720 km N of P?hala, Hawaii · 16482 days ago · 8 km deep · 65 km away
  19. 1.617 km NE of P?hala, Hawaii · 16482 days ago · 5 km deep · 63 km away
  20. 1.613 km ENE of P?hala, Hawaii · 16482 days ago · 3 km deep · 67 km away

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From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event hv19813131. Read Fri, Oct 2, 2026, 7:25 PM UTC.