Series of earthquakes rattle Hawaii amid Mauna Loa volcano unrest

NASA image shows snow on the tops of the Mauna Kea (upper) volcano and Mauna Loa (lower) volcano on Hawaii's Big Island in 2002. With summits of 4,205 metres (13,792 feet) for Mauna Kea and 4,169 metres (13,674 feet) for Mauna Loa, it's not unusual to get wintertime snowfall [File: NASA/AFP]

A magnitude 5.0 earthquake was the strongest of a series of temblors that have struck Hawaii’s Mauna Loa, the largest active volcano on the planet, which scientists say is in a “state of heightened unrest”.

A series of earthquakes on Friday started with a 4.6 magnitude earthquake 24 seconds before the larger 5.0 earthquake, the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said in a statement issued by the United States Geological Survey (USGS).