USGS interactive map shows the location of the recent earthquake swarm directly south of Halemaʻumaʻu crater.

(BIVN) – Kilauea volcano is not erupting, but the Hawaiʻi island volcano is currently exhibiting signs of elevated unrest, including a recent earthquake swarm just south of Halemaʻumaʻu crater.

From the Wednesday update by the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory:

Yesterday, beginning at 7:30 am HST and lasting for several hours, a swarm of approximately 50 earthquakes occurred at a depth of 1-2 miles (2-3 km) below the surface, over a 1.2 mile (2 km) long region directly south of Halemaʻumaʻu crater. This swarm was likely caused by movement of magma in Kīlauea’s south caldera region, and is a process observed consistently at the summit. Summit tiltmeters showed no appreciable inflation associated with the earthquake swarm. Elevated seismicity decreased following the swarms and remains steady, but still elevated compared to the previous week. Over the past week, rates of seismicity increased, with 467 earthquakes of magnitude 3.2 and smaller occurring. A single magnitude 4.3 earthquake also occurred in the region on August 13. Summit tiltmeters have recorded net inflation across the summit with one brief episode of more rapid inflation on August 13, 2023. Sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions from the summit remain low; the most recent SO2 emission rate, of approximately 86 tonnes per day, was measured on August 10.

USGS graphic shows the earthquake rates and depths over the past month at Kīlauea, with an increase in the last week.

No unusual activity has been noted along Kilauea’s East Rift Zone or Southwest Rift zone. The USGS alert level remains at ADVISORY / YELLOW.