The March 30, 1954 earthquake

M6.1near Volcano, Hawaii

A magnitude 6.1 earthquake 9.3 miles deep, centred in Hawaii County. The 18th strongest in Hawaii’s record since 1900, and the strongest within 50 miles since a magnitude 6.3 on August 21, 1951.

The earthquake

Magnitude
6.1
moment magnitude (mw)
Depth
9.3 mi
15.0 km below the surface
Local time
Tuesday, March 30, 1954
08:41 HST; 18:41 UTC
Epicentre
19.33°N, 155.24°W
In Hawaii County
In Hawaii’s record
18th
strongest of 39,637 since 1900
Within 50 miles
1
county; more on this date

USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog, event iscgemsup890489 (“12 km S of Volcano, Hawaii”). The USGS event page carries the ShakeMap, felt reports and the official summary.

Counties and cities within 50 miles

Distance from the epicentre to each county boundary (zero when inside) and to each city centre.

Counties

Earthquakes around the epicentre

7,047 earthquakes of magnitude 3 or more within 50 miles of this epicentre since 1973.

Earthquakes of magnitude 3 or more within 50 miles of the epicentre, by year 1973: 111 1974: 194 1975: 501 1976: 289 1977: 209 1978: 139 1979: 165 1980: 181 1981: 170 1982: 153 1983: 156 1984: 80 1985: 59 1986: 59 1987: 54 1988: 57 1989: 54 1990: 64 1991: 53 1992: 52 1993: 23 1994: 21 1995: 17 1996: 247 1997: 104 1998: 153 1999: 66 2000: 20 2001: 27 2002: 13 2003: 24 2004: 24 2005: 31 2006: 21 2007: 36 2008: 16 2009: 20 2010: 18 2011: 42 2012: 35 2013: 31 2014: 21 2015: 48 2016: 61 2017: 45 2018: 2,132 2,132 2019: 58 2020: 124 2021: 159 2022: 210 2023: 129 2024: 211 2025: 60 19731978198319881993199820032008201320182023

Earlier earthquakes of magnitude 5 or more within 50 miles, strongest first

USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog. Local time is the time zone of the county nearest the epicentre. Magnitudes are as the catalogue reports them.