Earthquakes continue beneath Kīlauea summit

Earthquake counts at the Kīlauea summit remain elevated with approximately 250 tumblers recorded in the past 24 hours, an increase over the preceding day.

Magma continues to pressurize the system beneath Halemaʻumaʻu and the south side of Kalaupele and Keanakākoʻi crater, activating seismicity along faults in the upper East Rift Zone. At this time, it is not possible to say whether this increase in activity will lead to an intrusion or eruption soon or simply continue as seismic unrest at depth.

Changes in the character and location of unrest can occur quickly, as can the potential for eruption.

Earthquakes are clustered in the upper East Rift Zone as well as the south caldera region. Earthquake depths have averaged 1.2 to 3.1 miles beneath the surface, and magnitudes have been mostly below M2.0, with one M3.3 Tuesday morning.

Elevated seismic activity on the East Rift Zone is confined to the upper East Rift Zone, with no significant earthquakes occurring past the Pauahi Crater. At this time, seismicity in Kīlauea’s Southwest Rift Zone remains relatively low outside of the summit region.

Ground deformation continues beneath Halemaʻumaʻu and the south caldera region. The Uēkahuna tiltmeter continues to record inflation beneath Halemaʻumaʻu that began early Saturday morning. The tiltmeter at Sandhill continues to record uplift in the south caldera region.

Sulfur dioxide gas emission rates remain low. An SO2 emission rate of approximately 62 tonnes per day was recorded on May 2.