Hawaii earthquakes

M1.6 earthquake 14 km SSE of Volcano, Hawaii

A magnitude 1.6 earthquake struck 14 km SSE of Volcano, Hawaii on Sun, Dec 20, 1981, 6:37 AM HST (16:37 UTC), 5 km (3 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M5.6 7 km W of P?hala, Hawaii. This one was a foreshock.

Volcano forecastMore in Hawaii

Map

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

Open the live map with earthquakes

The earthquake

Magnitude
1.6 (ML, local (Richter)), micro
Magnitude from
Hawaiian Volcano Observatory
Local time
UTC
1981-12-20 16:37:11 UTC
Depth
5.3 km (3.3 mi), shallow
Epicenter
19.323° N, 155.174° 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 0.6 km horizontally, 1.2 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty
±0.11
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
164°
Stations used
17

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: at least 202 in the 60 days after this one and 142 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 1.914 km S of Volcano, Hawaii · 16356 days ago · 7 km deep · 5 km away
  2. 2.410 km SSE of Volcano, Hawaii · 16356 days ago · 8 km deep · 5 km away
  3. 1.515 km S of Volcano, Hawaii · 16356 days ago · 6 km deep · 5 km away
  4. 2.114 km S of Volcano, Hawaii · 16356 days ago · 7 km deep · 4 km away
  5. 1.96 km SW of Volcano, Hawaii · 16355 days ago · 2 km deep · 14 km away
  6. 2.87 km SW of Volcano, Hawaii · 16355 days ago · 2 km deep · 13 km away
  7. 3.415 km S of Fern Forest, Hawaii · 16355 days ago · 7 km deep · 7 km away
  8. 1.816 km S of Volcano, Hawaii · 16355 days ago · 6 km deep · 5 km away
  9. 2.113 km SSE of Fern Forest, Hawaii · 16355 days ago · 7 km deep · 7 km away
  10. 2.018 km NNE of P?hala, Hawaii · 16354 days ago · 9 km deep · 26 km away
  11. 2.014 km SSE of Volcano, Hawaii · 16353 days ago · 8 km deep · 1 km away
  12. 1.914 km SSE of Volcano, Hawaii · 16353 days ago · 7 km deep · 0 km away
  13. 2.812 km WNW of P?hala, Hawaii · 16353 days ago · 5 km deep · 45 km away
  14. 2.17 km SW of Volcano, Hawaii · 16353 days ago · 2 km deep · 14 km away
  15. 2.511 km WNW of P?hala, Hawaii · 16353 days ago · 6 km deep · 43 km away
  16. 2.214 km S of Volcano, Hawaii · 16353 days ago · 8 km deep · 9 km away
  17. 2.37 km SW of Volcano, Hawaii · 16353 days ago · 2 km deep · 13 km away
  18. 2.27 km SW of Volcano, Hawaii · 16353 days ago · 2 km deep · 13 km away
  19. 2.97 km SW of Volcano, Hawaii · 16353 days ago · 2 km deep · 13 km away
  20. 1.614 km SSE of Volcano, Hawaii · 16352 days ago · 7 km deep · 2 km away
  21. 1.910 km S of Volcano, Hawaii · 16352 days ago · 7 km deep · 8 km away
  22. 2.111 km SSE of Volcano, Hawaii · 16352 days ago · 7 km deep · 4 km away
  23. 2.17 km SW of Volcano, Hawaii · 16352 days ago · 2 km deep · 13 km away
  24. 2.06 km SW of Volcano, Hawaii · 16352 days ago · 1 km deep · 15 km away
  25. 2.011 km NE of P?hala, Hawaii · 16352 days ago · 6 km deep · 23 km away
  26. 1.714 km SSE of Volcano, Hawaii · 16352 days ago · 7 km deep · 1 km away
  27. 2.49 km SSW of Honoka‘a, Hawaii · 16352 days ago · 37 km deep · 84 km away
  28. 2.311 km SSE of Volcano, Hawaii · 16351 days ago · 7 km deep · 3 km away
  29. 2.4Island of Hawaii, Hawaii · 16351 days ago · 7 km deep · 6 km away
  30. 2.414 km S of Fern Forest, Hawaii · 16351 days ago · 6 km deep · 5 km away
  31. 1.614 km S of Fern Forest, Hawaii · 16350 days ago · 5 km deep · 6 km away
  32. 2.012 km SSE of Volcano, Hawaii · 16350 days ago · 7 km deep · 2 km away
  33. 2.418 km W of Volcano, Hawaii · 16350 days ago · 6 km deep · 28 km away
  34. 2.521 km N of P?hala, Hawaii · 16350 days ago · 8 km deep · 30 km away
  35. 1.9Island of Hawaii, Hawaii · 16350 days ago · 7 km deep · 9 km away
  36. 1.912 km SSE of Volcano, Hawaii · 16350 days ago · 6 km deep · 4 km away
  37. 2.421 km SSW of Leilani Estates, Hawaii · 16349 days ago · 40 km deep · 18 km away
  38. 2.311 km SSE of Volcano, Hawaii · 16349 days ago · 6 km deep · 4 km away
  39. 2.04 km WSW of Volcano, Hawaii · 16349 days ago · 1 km deep · 16 km away
  40. 2.111 km SSE of Fern Forest, Hawaii · 16349 days ago · 7 km deep · 11 km away
  41. 2.114 km S of Volcano, Hawaii · 16349 days ago · 8 km deep · 9 km away
  42. 2.65 km WSW of Volcano, Hawaii · 16349 days ago · 1 km deep · 15 km away
  43. 3.513 km NE of P?hala, Hawaii · 16349 days ago · 7 km deep · 21 km away
  44. 2.414 km NE of P?hala, Hawaii · 16349 days ago · 6 km deep · 21 km away
  45. 2.014 km NE of P?hala, Hawaii · 16349 days ago · 3 km deep · 21 km away
  46. 2.012 km SSE of Volcano, Hawaii · 16349 days ago · 8 km deep · 2 km away
  47. 2.015 km S of Fern Forest, Hawaii · 16349 days ago · 6 km deep · 4 km away
  48. 2.13 km WSW of Volcano, Hawaii · 16349 days ago · 1 km deep · 16 km away
  49. 2.017 km NE of P?hala, Hawaii · 16348 days ago · 5 km deep · 19 km away
  50. 2.114 km S of Volcano, Hawaii · 16348 days ago · 8 km deep · 4 km away
  51. 2.17 km SW of Volcano, Hawaii · 16348 days ago · 2 km deep · 13 km away
  52. 2.115 km SW of Leilani Estates, Hawaii · 16348 days ago · 3 km deep · 18 km away
  53. 2.014 km NE of P?hala, Hawaii · 16348 days ago · 3 km deep · 23 km away
  54. 1.916 km WSW of Volcano, Hawaii · 16347 days ago · 9 km deep · 23 km away
  55. 1.913 km S of Volcano, Hawaii · 16347 days ago · 6 km deep · 5 km away
  56. 2.723 km E of P?hala, Hawaii · 16347 days ago · 32 km deep · 15 km away
  57. 1.715 km S of Fern Forest, Hawaii · 16347 days ago · 7 km deep · 5 km away
  58. 1.615 km SE of Fern Forest, Hawaii · 16347 days ago · 7 km deep · 16 km away
  59. 1.96 km SW of Volcano, Hawaii · 16347 days ago · 2 km deep · 13 km away
  60. 2.114 km S of Volcano, Hawaii · 16347 days ago · 8 km deep · 8 km away

The first 60 of at least 202.

Before

  1. 2.914 km SSE of Volcano, Hawaii · 16356 days ago · 8 km deep · 1 km away
  2. 3.215 km SSE of Volcano, Hawaii · 16356 days ago · 9 km deep · 1 km away
  3. 2.018 km NNE of P?hala, Hawaii · 16357 days ago · 9 km deep · 26 km away
  4. 2.57 km SW of Volcano, Hawaii · 16357 days ago · 1 km deep · 13 km away
  5. 2.37 km SW of Volcano, Hawaii · 16357 days ago · 2 km deep · 13 km away
  6. 2.815 km S of Fern Forest, Hawaii · 16357 days ago · 8 km deep · 4 km away
  7. 2.115 km SW of Leilani Estates, Hawaii · 16357 days ago · 8 km deep · 17 km away
  8. 1.916 km S of Fern Forest, Hawaii · 16357 days ago · 5 km deep · 4 km away
  9. 2.112 km SSE of Fern Forest, Hawaii · 16357 days ago · 7 km deep · 10 km away
  10. 1.512 km SSE of Volcano, Hawaii · 16358 days ago · 7 km deep · 4 km away
  11. 1.514 km SSE of Eden Roc, Hawaii · 16358 days ago · 7 km deep · 16 km away
  12. 1.911 km S of Volcano, Hawaii · 16358 days ago · 6 km deep · 5 km away
  13. 2.611 km S of Volcano, Hawaii · 16359 days ago · 8 km deep · 5 km away
  14. 3.515 km S of Fern Forest, Hawaii · 16360 days ago · 9 km deep · 7 km away
  15. 1.614 km SE of Volcano, Hawaii · 16360 days ago · 7 km deep · 3 km away
  16. 2.63 km S of Pa‘auilo, Hawaii · 16360 days ago · 5 km deep · 79 km away
  17. 2.013 km SE of Volcano, Hawaii · 16360 days ago · 7 km deep · 2 km away
  18. 2.113 km S of Volcano, Hawaii · 16360 days ago · 6 km deep · 5 km away
  19. 2.116 km S of Volcano, Hawaii · 16360 days ago · 7 km deep · 6 km away
  20. 2.87 km SW of Volcano, Hawaii · 16361 days ago · 2 km deep · 13 km away

Earthquakes todayHawaii earthquakesLive radar here

Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event hv19813932. Read Thu, Oct 1, 2026, 9:10 PM UTC.