Image from an interactive map by the USGS HVO showing the location of the most recent earthquakes south of the caldera on the East Rift connector.

(BIVN) – Kīlauea is not erupting, and the USGS Alert Level for the Hawaiʻi island volcano remains at ADVISORY. 

The seismic swarm that began on June 27 beneath the upper East Rift Zone, just southeast of the summit region, continued into Monday. The swarm escalated in intensity Saturday night, and eased slightly Sunday morning. 

According to a USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory report on Sunday, over 500 earthquakes were detected beneath the upper East Rift Zone and surrounding areas. A similar number of earthquakes, though down slightly, appears to have occurred in the following 24 hours.

Above Top: Number of earthquakes per day during the past week (blue bars). The red line is the cumulative moment (energy) release. Bottom: Depth of earthquakes during the past week in the area shown on the map above. Depth is reported relative to sea level, which is equal to a depth of zero on the above plot. On both figures, circle-size represents magnitude, and color indicates depth. (USGS graphs)

As of Monday morning, there were no new closures announced in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park due to the elevated activity.

On Sunday, the USGS HVO provided this analysis:

Following the eruption on June 3, 2024, magma has been repressurizing the storage system beneath Halemaʻumaʻu and the south caldera region, activating earthquakes in the upper East Rift Zone and in the caldera south of Halemaʻumaʻu. At this time, it is not possible to say whether this increase in activity will lead to an intrusion or an eruption in the near future, or simply continue as seismic unrest at depth. With the earthquake rate easing slightly this morning, there are no signs of an imminent eruption at this time.

Previous eruptions and intrusions beneath the upper East Rift Zone have occurred in the vicinity of Pauahi Crater and Hiʻiaka Crater to the southeast of the summit, and around Luamanu and Keanakākoʻi Craters at the margin of the summit caldera. This region erupted several times during the 1960s–1970s; the most recent eruption took place over a single day in November 1979 within and near to Pauahi Crater.

Currently, there is no indication that magma is moving towards the June 3, 2024, eruption site southwest of the caldera. However, changes in the character and location of unrest can occur quickly, as can the potential for eruption.

The USGS HVO says it will continue to provide daily updates for Kīlauea volcano.