One of the most active volcanoes on Earth, Kīlauea is the youngest volcano on Hawaii’s Big Island and a central feature of Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park.
HAWAII VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK – Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano was rocked by hundreds of earthquakes over the weekend, but scientists say there are currently no signs of an imminent eruption.
The announcement was made on Sunday afternoon after scientists with the USGS’ Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) said seismic activity beneath Kilauea’s summit and upper East Rift Zone began to increase.
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The HVO said that within 24 hours, about 67 earthquakes rumbled beneath the volcano’s summit, and about 172 were reported beneath the upper East Rift Zone, with most of them being reported at depths of 1.2 miles or less.
In addition to the earthquakes, the HVO said tiltmeters in the area showed gradual inflationary ground deformation, and instruments continue to show long-term, gradual inflation since the end of the most recent eruption at Kilauea at the beginning of June.
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“Following the eruption on June 3, 2024, magma has been repressurizing the storage system beneath Halemaʻumaʻu and the south caldera region, activating earthquakes in the caldera south of Halemaʻumaʻu and in the upper East Rift Zone,” the HVO said in its most recent update. “At this time, it is not possible to say whether this activity will lead to an intrusion or eruption in the near future, or simply continue as seismic unrest at depth.”
Scientists warned, however, that the situation could change rapidly.
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“Changes in the character and location of unrest can occur quickly, as can the potential for eruption, but there are no signs of an imminent eruption at this time,” the HVO said.
The HVO said that scientists will continue to monitor the volcano and will provide a Volcanic Activity Notice should the situation change.