USGS Volcano Notice - DOI-USGS-HVO-2024-11-02T16:30:38+00:00

Activity Summary:  Kīlauea volcano is not erupting. Weak steaming is occasionally visible from the inactive September 15–20 lava flow field within and adjacent to Nāpau Crater in the middle East Rift Zone. Earthquake counts in the summit region and upper East Rift Zone remain slightly above background levels; elsewhere on Kīlauea, seismicity remains low. No changes have been detected at the summit, in the lower East Rift Zone, or in the Southwest Rift Zone, and an offshore earthquake swarm at Kama‘ehuakanaloa volcano (formerly Lō‘ihi Seamount) last night had no apparent effect on Kīlauea.

Summit Observations:  Earthquake counts in Kīlauea's summit region remain slightly above background levels. Tiltmeters at Uēkahuna and Sand Hill—respectively northwest and southwest of Kaluapele, the summit caldera—have shown no significant changes over the past day. The most recent measurement of the sulfur dioxide (SO₂) emission rate from the summit was approximately 60 tonnes per day on September 17, a value representative of noneruptive conditions at Kīlauea.

Rift Zone Observations:  The recent middle East Rift Zone eruption near Nāpau Crater stopped on 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 along Chain of Craters Road, indicating that SO₂ emissions from the middle East Rift Zone are negligible.

Shallow earthquake counts in the upper East Rift Zone remain slightly above background levels, while counts in the middle East Rift Zone remain low. No tremor has been recorded on seismometers near the recent eruption site since September 20. Tiltmeters and GPS instruments in the area show low rates of deformation at this time.

All recent unrest was confined to the middle East Rift Zone 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 geophysical data show that magma is continuing to move at a low rate from the summit to the middle East Rift Zone. Future intrusions 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.