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4.5 Hawaii island quake felt on Maui

An earthquake with a magnitude of 4.5 off the coast of Hilo on Monday morning was felt in Maui County, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.

The quake was centered about 4 miles east of Papaikou at a depth of 26 miles, the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said. It occurred at about 4:45 a.m.

No major damage was expected from the quake, USGS said.

Moderate shaking was reported in Maui County on the USGS “Did you feel it?” service (earthquake.usgs.gov/dyfi/). There were a dozen reports of shaking in Kihei, Kula, Haiku, Wailuku, Kaunakakai and Lanai City.

The depth, location and recorded seismic waves of the earthquake suggest it was caused by the bending of the oceanic plate from the weight of the Hawaiian Islands, a common source for earthquakes in this area, USGS said. Aftershocks are possible and could be felt.

Hawaiian Volcano Observatory has not “detected any significant changes in activity on Kilauea or Mauna Loa volcanoes due to the earthquake,” said observatory Seismic Network Manager Brian Shiro.

There was no tsunami generated from the quake.

For information on recent earthquakes in Hawaii and eruption updates, visit the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory website at volcanoes.usgs.gov/hvo/earthquakes/.

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