USGS Volcano Notice - DOI-USGS-HVO-2023-06-22T09:46:18-07:00

Activity Summary: The summit eruption at Kīlauea volcano is paused, following a rapid decline in vent and lava lake activity Monday afternoon. All recent eruptive activity was confined to Halemaʻumaʻu crater within the summit caldera at Kīlauea, and no unusual activity has been noted along the volcano’s East Rift Zone or Southwest Rift Zone. 

Halemaʻumaʻu Observations: Monday afternoon, there was a rapid decline in lava fountaining and effusion at the eruptive vent on the southwest side of Halemaʻumaʻu crater. Currently no lava is actively erupting in Halemaʻumaʻu crater. Overnight webcam views showed some incandescence from previously erupted lava on the crater floor as lava proceeds to cool. A live-stream video of the crater is available at https://www.youtube.com/usgs/live.

Summit Observations: Simultaneous with the pause in the eruption, seismic activity (including eruptive tremor) in the summit region has been low. Over the last 24 hours, summit tiltmeters have measured slight gradual inflation. A sulfur dioxide (SO₂) emission rate of approximately 175 tonnes per day was measured on Wednesday, June 21.

Rift Zone Observations: No unusual activity has been noted along the East Rift Zone or Southwest Rift Zone; steady but low rates of ground deformation and seismicity continue along both. Measurements from continuous gas monitoring stations in the middle East Rift Zone—the site of 1983–2018 eruptive activity—remain below detection limits for SO₂.

Hazard Analysis: The eruption at Kīlauea’s summit is occurring within a closed area of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park. High levels of volcanic gas—primarily water vapor (H₂O), carbon dioxide (CO₂), and sulfur dioxide (SO₂)—are the primary hazard of concern, as this hazard can have far-reaching effects down-wind. As SO₂ is continuously released from the summit during the eruption, it will react in the atmosphere to create the visible haze known as vog (volcanic smog) downwind of Kīlauea. Vog information can be found at https://vog.ivhhn.org/. 

Additional hazards include Pele's hair and other lightweight volcanic glass fragments from the lava fountains that will fall downwind of the fissure vents and dust the ground within a few hundred meters (yards) of the vent (s). Strong winds may waft lighter particles to greater distances. Residents and visitors should minimize exposure to these volcanic particles, which can cause skin and eye irritation. 

Other significant hazards also remain around Kīlauea caldera from Halemaʻumaʻu crater wall instability, ground cracking, and rockfalls that can be enhanced by earthquakes within the area closed to the public. This underscores the extremely hazardous nature of Kīlauea caldera rim surrounding Halemaʻumaʻu crater, an area that has been closed to the public since late 2007. 

The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) continues to closely monitor Kīlauea volcano. HVO will continue to issue daily Kīlauea volcano updates until further notice. Additional messages will be issued as needed.