(BIVN) – The active eruption of spatter and lava along Kīlauea Volcano’s lower East Rift Zone within the Leilani Estates subdivision was paused today, however scientists are still expecting additional outbreaks in the general area.

High levels of sulfur dioxide continue to be released from the fissure system.

Deformation of the ground in the area continues and seismicity remains elevated, USGS reports. Recent earthquake activity has been concentrated on the downrift, or east side, of the existing Leilani Estates fissures.

“We are seeing earthquakes, they are clustering right now near the intersection of Highway 132 and Noni Farms Road,” said Wes Thielen, the seismic network manager at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. “That evidence, in concert with the GPS evidence from a station in the area, gives us pretty good confidence that magma is, in fact, moved down rift from where it was pooled under Leilani Estates.”

“At least part of what was there under Leilani Estate has moved at least as far down as Noni Farms Road. So the implications for that are, obviously, that there is an increased likelihood for fissuring above the area that has been intruded, but we have very little constraint on the exact timing of that right now. We also don’t really have
a good understanding of exactly how far this may go down rift, or if it may stall out where it is now.”

During a Wednesday overflight, geologists also observed a new steaming area uprift, or west, of Highway 130. During a second overflight later that day, the area was still steaming. Police evacuated 10 homes at 3 p.m. Wednesday on Ala’ili Road, which is west of Highway 130 between Malama Street and Kamaili Road, due to steaming cracks in the road.