#East Rift Zone

Data from 115 seismic nodes deployed in late June across Kīlauea’s East Rift Zone, fortuitously before significant unrest began, will be used to image the location and volume of magma within the region at a level of detail not previously possible.

An intrusion is an injection of magma into rock, that causes ground deformation and seismicity but does not result in an eruption.

Seismic activity at Kīlauea’s upper East Rift Zone is still elevated but has continued at a decreased rate.

According to the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, it is unknown if the current conditions will lead to an eruption soon or if magma will remain confined below ground.

The quakes began rattling the area at 11 a.m.

Over the past 24 hours, there were approximately 67 earthquakes detected beneath Kīlauea’s summit and approximately 172 earthquakes detected beneath the upper East Rift Zone, mostly at depths of 0.0–1.2 miles beneath the ground surface.

While the volcano is not erupting, the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory reports changes in the character and location of unrest can occur quickly, as can the potential for eruption.

According to HVO’s report Tuesday morning, the unrest is primarily in the form of intermittent low-frequency energy signals typical of magma movement. The number of individual earthquakes remained low, with less than 10 events detected.

Earthquakes are clustered in the upper East Rift Zone as well as the south caldera region.

The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory notes inflation is occurring in the caldera south of Halemaʻumaʻu – activity similar to conditions prior to last week’s period of heightened unrest.

Areas accessed by Chain of Craters Road, including coastal backcountry sites, Hilina Pali Road, Kulanaokuaiki Campground, Nāpau, and Pepeiao Cabin are now open.

February is Mahina ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi, Hawaiian Language Month, and an opportunity to appreciate the value that the Native Hawaiian language has provided to volcanology, especially here in Hawaiʻi nei.

The overall decrease in seismicity and deformation suggests that this event is waning.

Periods of increased earthquake activity and rates of ground deformation can be expected to continue in this region.

The trail was temporarily closed because of increased seismicity in the Southwest Rift Zone of Kīlauea.

Even without the allure of an eruption, park visitation soars during the holidays.

Areas accessed by Chain of Craters Road, including coastal backcountry sites, Kulanaokuaiki Campground, Keanakākoʻi and the Devastation Trail and parking area, are now open.  

The summit of Kīlauea remains at a high level of inflation and eruptive activity is possible in the coming weeks or months.

Kīlauea’s most recent eruption stopped on Sept. 16. This was the briefest of the five eruptions that have occurred at the summit of Kīlauea since 2020.  The eruption lasted about six days and, like the four eruptions before it, filled in a portion of the summit that collapsed in 2018.

According to Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, it is unlikely that the recent eruption will resume based on the behavior of past, short-lived summit fissure eruptions at Kīlauea summit in 1982, 1975, 1974, and 1971, which all ended abruptly.