USGS Volcano Notice - DOI-USGS-HVO-2024-10-21T16:51:26+00:00

Activity Summary:  Kīlauea volcano is not erupting. Weak steaming is occasionally visible on the inactive September 15–20 lava flow field within Nāpau Crater on the middle East Rift Zone. No changes have been detected in the lower East Rift Zone or Southwest Rift Zone.

Summit Observations:  There were 6 earthquakes detected beneath the Kīlauea summit region over the past 24 hours. The summit tiltmeters at Uēkahuna and Sandhill show slight inflation over the past week. The most recent measurement of the sulfur dioxide (SO₂) emission rate at the summit was approximately 60 tonnes per day on September 17, 2024.    

Rift Zone Observations:  The middle East Rift Zone (MERZ) eruption near Nāpau Crater stopped around 10 a.m. HST on the morning of September 20. Only occasional weak steaming from the eruption site has been seen in webcam imagery since that time. No SO₂ from the eruption site was detected on September 23 during measurements on Chain of Craters Road, indicating that the MERZ SO₂ emissions are negligible. 

Shallow earthquake counts were low over the past day with 11 earthquakes in the middle and upper East Rift Zone, and no tremor being recorded on seismometers near the recent eruption site. Tiltmeters in the MERZ show modest deflation and GPS instruments show low rates of deformation.  

All recent activity was confined to the MERZ between Makaopuhi Crater and Puʻuʻōʻō and there are no indications of any changes downrift in the lower East Rift Zone.  

Analysis:  Kīlauea erupted briefly in and near Nāpau Crater from September 15–20, 2024. Lava flows from this eruption covered more than 880,000 square meters (217 acres) of Nāpau Crater and areas to the west. A webpage with eruption-related resources is available here: Eruption on Kīlauea middle East Rift Zone | U.S. Geological Survey (usgs.gov) and a summary of the eruption is available in this “Volcano Watch” article: Volcano Watch — A New Kīlauea Eruption | U.S. Geological Survey (usgs.gov). 

While the middle East Rift Zone eruption has ended, unrest continues at low levels in this region of Kīlauea. Rates of seismicity and ground deformation have greatly decreased since the eruption, but data shows that magma is continuing to move at a low rate from the summit to the middle East Rift Zone. Future intrusive episodes and eruptions could occur with continued magma supply.

Updates: HVO continues to closely monitor Kīlauea and is in contact with Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park and the Hawai‘i County Civil Defense Agency. HVO will continue to provide daily updates for Kīlauea volcano. Should volcanic activity change significantly, a Volcanic Activity Notice will be issued. Please see the Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park website for visitor information: https://www.nps.gov/havo/index.htm.  

Hazards:  Near the recent middle East Rift Zone eruption site, minor to severe ground fractures and subsidence features may continue to widen and offset, may have unstable overhanging edges, and should be avoided. Hazards associated with the recent lava flows include glassy (sharp) surfaces that can cause serious abrasions, and lacerations upon contact with unprotected or exposed skin; uneven and rough terrain that can lead to falls and other injuries; or, locally elevated levels of volcanic gases that can lead to breathing difficulty.   

Hazards 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 the rim surrounding Halemaʻumaʻu crater, an area that has been closed to the public since early 2008.   

For discussion of Kīlauea hazards, please see: https://www.usgs.gov/observatories/hawaiian-volcano-observatory/hazards.