HONOLULU (AP) — Scientists have recorded nearly 6,000 small earthquakes since August near a Hawaii volcano, officials said.

The U.S. Geological Survey's Hawaiian Volcano Observatory announced the earthquakes of magnitude 2 or lower have happened along the southwest rift zone of the Kilauea volcano, The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported Wednesday.

The earthquakes struck 15 to 25 miles (24 to 40 kilometers) below the surface. Most have not been felt by residents in the zone near Pahala on the Big Island, the observatory said.

"Deep earthquakes of this type do not generally pose a hazard from ground-shaking," the observatory said in a statement.

Observatory officials said there have been 20 to 40 quakes per day in the region since August, peaking at more than 80 per day in February.

The rates are the highest measured for the area in 60 years of instrument monitoring, officials said.

Pahala is more than 50 miles (80 kilometers) southwest of Pahoa, which is near the site of the Kilauea eruption that began in May 2018 and destroyed more than 700 homes.

The observatory said it has recorded earthquakes around the Kilauea and Mauna Loa volcanoes for decades and the new activity does not indicate an eruption is imminent.

"No correlation between seismic activity in this zone and volcanic activity at the surface has been established, although this is an important topic for future research," the observatory said.

The earthquakes are likely the result of magma moving through the earth's mantle deep beneath the island, which may be the source region supplying magma to active volcanoes, the observatory said.