Hawaiian Volcano Observatory records 4th earthquake swarm at Kīlauea summit in the past week

Earthquakes beneath Kīlauea’s Halema‘uma‘u crater continue as Hawaiian Volcano Observatory reports a swarm of 50 tumblers from 4:30 to 8:30 a.m. today. This is the fourth earthquake swarm in this area in the past week and is likely caused by the movement of magma in Kīlauea’s south caldera region.

Despite the activity, Kīlauea is not erupting, however, the summit is exhibiting signs of unrest. No unusual activity has been noted along Kīlauea’s East Rift Zone or Southwest Rift Zone. Sulfur dioxide emissions from the summit remain low; the most recent SO2 emission rate, of approximately 86 tonnes per day, was measured on Aug. 15.

Earthquakes occurred at a depth of 1-2 miles below the surface, south of Halemaʻumaʻu crater. No active lava has been observed since June 19. A live-stream video of the inactive western lava lake area is available at https://www.youtube.com/usgs/live.

For discussion of Kīlauea hazards, see: https://www.usgs.gov/observatories/hawaiian-volcano-observatory/hazards.

For visitor information to Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, visit  https://www.nps.gov/havo/index.htm.