Kīlauea volcano exhibiting signs of elevated unrest

Kīlauea volcano is not erupting, but its summit is currently exhibiting signs of elevated unrest.

No unusual activity has been noted along Kilauea’s East Rift Zone or Southwest Rift zone.

Elevated seismic activity continues in an area south of Kīlauea’s summit caldera. Earthquakes occurred steadily through the day yesterday, without swarm activity. Most earthquakes have been at a depth of 1-2 miles (2-3 km) below the surface, with no upward migration.

Summit tiltmeters showed inflationary tilt through most of yesterday, consistent with recent trends, but are showing some variability this morning. Sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions from the summit remain low; the most recent SO2 emission rate, of approximately 75 tonnes per day, was measured on August 24.

The earthquake activity and tiltmeter data indicate that Kīlauea summit is becoming increasingly pressurized. Similar episodes of earthquake and ground deformation activity occurred in November 2020 and August 2021, prior to eruptions in December 2020 and September 2021.

The activity is currently confined within Kīlauea’s summit region and if it continues, could escalate to an eruption in the coming days, weeks, or months. The activity could also decrease due to intrusion of magma underground or other changes, resulting in no eruption. Furthermore, levels of activity are expected to rise and fall during this period.