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Scientists Tracking Big Island Earthquake Swarm

By Andrew Pereira

A portion of the Big Island near Kilauea Volcano
is experiencing a flurry of earthquake activity because of a phenomenon
known as an earthquake swarm.
.
Jim Kauahikaua, the
scientist-in-charge of the U.S. Geological Survey's Hawaiian Volcano
Observatory said the earthquake swarm began at 2:15 Sunday
morning

"The largest [quake] so far has been a magnitude 3.8,” said
Kauahikaua, who compared the event to another earthquake swarm in
September of 1999.

“Some of [the quakes] are being felt locally
but they're not real large. Kauahikaua says scientists are continuing to
monitor the situation closely.

“Mostly we're trying to make
educated guesses about what's going to happen next,” he
said.”

Mardie Lane, a park ranger at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
said a series of quakes startled the park’s chief ranger out of bed at
2:15 a.m.

“He's on a post and pier home and it was enough to shake
his house and give him cause for concern," she said.

Kauahikaua
says the earthquakes are centered about a mile southwest of Mauna Ulu Vent
beneath the East Rift Zone of Kilauea Volcano.

Mauna Ulu Vent is
located between Pu`u`o`o Cone and Kilauea's summit.

Kauahikaua
says the earthquake swarm is being caused by magma injecting itself into
existing rock.

“The rocks are actually breaking, producing the
earthquakes,” he said. “We feel that this swarm of earthquakes is in
response to magma being injected towards the surface.”

Although
the earthquake swarm could signal the beginning of a new eruption, no new
lava has broken the surface around Kilauea.

Unlike the 6.7
magnitude earthquake that struck the Big Island last October Kauahikaua
says the earthquakes associated with the swarm are shallow, only about a
mile or two deep.

"The October 15th event was related to the crust
bowing under the weight of the islands, so it was a very deep event,” said
Kauahikaua, “twenty-five miles deep.”

Lane says in response to the
earthquake swarm Hawaii Volcanoes National Park closed several roads and
moved people away from possible danger.

"We made the decision to
close Chain of Craters Road, Hilina Pali Road and most of Crater Rim
Drive. We also evacuated eleven campers from Kulanaokuaiki
Campground.”

Lane says the road closures caused a traffic jam as
thousands of visitors were confined to a three mile area.

“This
volcano definitely has a mind of its own, it is very powerful,” she said.
“I think one of the most important things is don't take anything that you
see for granted.”

Lane said if you're planning to visit Hawaii
Volcanoes National Park in the coming days it's a good idea to call ahead
first.

The phone number to call with updated information is 808
985-6000.

Hawaii Volcanoes
National Park Website

Story Updated: Jun 17, 2007 at 6:08 PM HDT

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