graphs courtesy USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory

(BIVN) – Kilauea is not erupting, and the alert level remains at ADVISORY. 

Scientists with the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory say moderate seismicity continues in the summit region. They note that overnight there was a flurry of deeper earthquakes located 7 to 9 miles, or 11to 15 km, below the summit caldera.

Meanwhile, there has been a slight decline in seismic activity in the upper East Rift Zone and Southwest Rift Zone. There remains no unusual activity along the middle and lower sections of Kīlauea’s East Rift Zone.

Scientists note that while there are currently no signs of an imminent eruption at Kīlauea, eruptive activity could still occur in the near future with little or no warning.

From the USGS HVO update on Friday, December 15:

Summit Observations:  Shallow seismicity in Kīlauea’s summit region has declined slightly over the past day, but overnight there was a flurry of deeper earthquakes located 7–9 mi (11–15 km) below Kaluapele, the volcano’s summit caldera. Most of these earthquakes have had magnitudes below M2.0, but a couple events have occurred in the M2.0–M3.0 range. Seismicity has not reached the levels that immediately preceded recent summit eruptions at Kīlauea.

The Uēkahuna tiltmeter—located northwest of the caldera—has tracked relatively steady deflation of the summit since early yesterday morning. The Sand Hill tiltmeter—located southwest of the caldera—has tracked a similar trend over the same period. Overall, Kīlauea’s summit region remains at a high level of inflation; relative tilt is above the level reached prior to the most recent eruption in September 2023, and it is higher than at any time since the 2018 eruption.

Sulfur dioxide (SO2) gas emission rates remain low. Field measurements indicated an SO2 emission rate of approximately 70 tonnes per day on December 5, which was similar to measurements in October and November.

There are currently no signs of an imminent eruption at Kīlauea, but the volcano’s summit region remains unsettled, with a high level of inflation and continued seismic activity. The onsets of previous summit eruptions have been marked by strong swarms of earthquakes caused by magma moving towards the surface 1–2 hours before the appearance of lava. This type of earthquake activity is not being detected at this time.