USGS Volcano Notice - DOI-USGS-HVO-2024-02-29T16:57:23+00:00

Activity Summary:  Kīlauea volcano is not erupting. Low to moderate rates of seismicity at the summit and along the Koaʻe fault system southwest of the summit continues following an intrusion of magma into the area at the end of January.

Summit Observations:  Seismicity beneath the summit and extending 5-7 miles (8-11 km) southwest of the caldera under the Koaʻe fault zone continues. Earthquakes are dispersed widely from the summit to the southwest. There were 8 earthquakes recorded around the summit over the past 24 hours. Depths beneath the summit are 0.5-5 miles (1–8 km) below the surface, and magnitudes are typically below M2.0.

Ground deformation remains low with tiltmeters near Sand Hill showing modest changes in the past day.

Sulfur dioxide (SO₂) gas emission rates have remained low since October 2023. An SO₂ emission rate of approximately 117 tonnes per day was recorded on February 22.

An Information Statement about the recent intrusion can be found here: USGS Volcano Notice - DOI-USGS-HVO-2024-02-09T05:11:03+00:00.
The overall decrease in seismicity and deformation suggests that this event is waning. However, renewed episodes of activity remain a possibility and an eruption could occur with little advanced warning.

Rift Zone Observations: Seismicity in Kīlauea's upper East Rift Zone and Southwest Rift Zone remain low. No unusual activity has been noted along the middle and lower sections of Kīlauea's East Rift Zone. We continue to closely monitor both rift zones.

Measurements from continuous gas monitoring stations downwind of Puʻuʻōʻō in the middle East Rift Zone—the site of 1983–2018 eruptive activity—continue to be below detection limits for SO₂, indicating that SO₂ emissions Puʻuʻōʻō are negligible.

Hazard Analysis:  Levels of volcanic gases (sulfur dioxide and carbon dioxide) can remain locally hazardous even when Kīlauea is not erupting. Local concentrations of sulfur dioxide (SO₂) and/or hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) may persist in downwind areas, and residents may notice odors of these gases occasionally. Significant hazards also remain around Halemaʻumaʻu from crater wall instability, ground cracking, and rockfalls that can be enhanced by earthquakes within the area closed to the public. For discussion of Kīlauea hazards, please see: https://www.usgs.gov/observatories/hawaiian-volcano-observatory/hazards.