HVO UPDATE: Some Magma May Still Be Moving Into East Rift Zone

The U.S. Geological Survey reports that on Oct. 9, 2018, Kīlauea Volcano is not erupting. Rates of seismicity, deformation, and sulfur dioxide gas emissions are low and have not changed significantly in the past week.

Lower East Rift Zone. Photo taken on July 12, 2018. PC: Hawai‘i Fire Department.

HVO monitoring during the past week shows low rates of seismicity, deformation, and gas emission at the summit and East Rift Zone (ERZ). Earthquakes continue to occur primarily at Kīlauea’s summit area (magnitude-2.4 was the largest) and south flank with continued small aftershocks of the magnitude-6.9 quake on May 4, 2018. Seismicity remains low in the lower ERZ.

In the ERZ, tiltmeters near Puʻu ʻŌʻō and farther east have recorded a slight inflationary trend in the past few weeks. At the summit, tiltmeters have recorded a slight deflationary trend. Both trends suggest some magma may still be moving into the ERZ from the summit magma reservoir system.

Sulfur dioxide gas emissions at the summit, Puʻu ʻŌʻō, and the ERZ remain drastically reduced at the combined rate of less than 300 tonnes/day.

Hazards are still present in the lower East Rift Zone (LERZ) eruption area and at the Kīlauea summit. Residents and visitors near recently active fissures and lava flows should stay informed, heed Hawai‘i County Civil Defense warnings, and be prepared, if necessary, to self-evacuate in the unlikely event of renewed activity. Note that Hawai‘i County maintains a closure of the entire flow field and the vents and prohibits access to the area unless authorized through Civil Defense.

The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) continues to closely monitor Kīlauea’s seismicity, deformation, and gas emissions for any sign of reactivation and maintains visual surveillance of the summit and the East Rift Zone.