(BIVN) – A magnitude 4.1 earthquake was felt in the summit region of Kīlauea on Sunday evening, where an ongoing seismic swarm prompted a Volcano Alert Level change from ADVISORY to WATCH.

The earthquake occurred at 9:12 p.m. at a depth of nearly a half mile. The earthquake was not strong enough to do any damage, nor did it generate a tsunami.

A Magnitude 4.0 event was also recorded at 7:07 p.m., scientists say.

A few hours after the earthquake, the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory issued an updated information statement on the volcanic activity, reporting:

Kīlauea is not erupting. Elevated rates of seismicity and ground deformation continue at Kīlauea’s summit. Increased activity began at approximately 12:00 p.m. HST on June 2, 2024, indicating that magma was moving below the surface. Rates of seismicity and deformation increased further after 5:00 p.m., prompting the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory to raise Kīlauea’s alert level/aviation color code from ADVISORY/YELLOW to WATCH/ORANGE. As of 10:30 p.m., activity has decreased slightly but remains elevated. At this time, it is not possible to say with certainty if this activity will lead to an eruption – the activity may remain below ground as an intrusion. However, an eruption in Kīlauea’s summit region within Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park is one potential outcome.

from interactive USGS map showing the location of recent earthquakes, mostly beneath the caldera south of Halemaʻumaʻu, as of Sunday evening

There have been approximately 250 earthquakes beneath Kīlauea’s summit region over the past eight hours. Some events have also occurred beneath the upper East Rift Zone, especially over the past two hours. The largest earthquakes included a magnitude-4.1 (M4.1) event at 9:12 p.m. and a M4.0 event at 7:07 p.m. There have been 12 events between M3 and M4, 145 events between M2 and M3, 58 events between M1 and M2, and numerous events less than M1. Most events have remained at depths of 2-3 km (1.2–1.8 miles) beneath the surface; however, several events have been located slightly shallower, at about 1.5 km (1 mile) beneath the surface. These earthquakes have been widely felt in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park and surrounding communities, and have triggered many rockfalls. Earthquake activity has been accompanied by elevated rates and changing patterns of ground deformation.

The Volcano Alert Level/Aviation Color Code for Kīlauea remain at WATCH/ORANGE but conditions could change quickly. HVO continues to closely monitor Kīlauea for signs of increasing activity. Should volcanic activity change significantly, a new Volcanic Activity Notice will be issued.

Rates of seismicity and ground deformation beneath the middle and lower East Rift Zone and Southwest Rift Zone remain low. Current activity is restricted to the summit region and upper East Rift Zone.