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Earthquake does no damage


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POSTED: Saturday, October 24, 2009

A magnitude-4.8 earthquake struck yesterday about 30 miles south of the Big Island but did not cause any damage, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

The quake was 20 miles deep and four miles southeast of Loihi Seamount and 27 miles east-southeast of Naalehu on the Big Island.

Loihi Seamount, Hawaii's youngest volcano, is on the ocean floor about 19 miles south of Kilauea Volcano.

As of noon yesterday no aftershocks were recorded.

The earthquake was initially recorded as magnitude 4.1, but further analysis showed it was larger than originally estimated, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

More than 160 people throughout the Big Island reported feeling the quake.

In 25 years, 82 earthquakes with magnitudes of 4 or greater have occurred near Loihi, with most taking place during a seismic swarm between July and August 1996.