A 6.0 magnitude earthquake rocked Hawaii’s Big Island shortly before 10 p.m. Friday night, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The earthquake came amid USGS monitoring of Kilauea, an active volcano on Hawaii’s Big Island that experts expect to erupt again in the coming days after a recent series of eruptions throughout May.
Friday night’s earthquake occurred about 7 miles south of Hōnaunau-Nāpōʻopoʻo, a town on the southwest coast of Hawaii, according to the USGS.
“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 USGS said in a statement.
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Strong to very strong shaking was reported on the west side of the Island of Hawaii, and the earthquake resulted in several aftershocks. Over 2,500 residents submitted reports to USGS indicating they felt the strong shaking from the event.
While the USGS said the earthquake was unrelated to Kilauea’s eruptions, the agency continues to monitor the volcano, which it expects to erupt again between May 24 and May 27.
No tsunami warning has been issued in relation to the earthquake, according to the USGS.
