USGS Volcano Notice - DOI-USGS-HVO-2022-06-02T11:45:35-07:00

HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY MONTHLY UPDATE
U.S. Geological Survey
Thursday, June 2, 2022, 9:35 AM HST (Thursday, June 2, 2022, 19:35 UTC)

HUALALAI VOLCANO (VNUM #332040)
19°41'31" N 155°52'12" W, Summit Elevation 8278 ft (2523 m)
Current Volcano Alert Level: NORMAL
Current Aviation Color Code: GREEN

No significant activity was detected at Hualālai Volcano during the past month. HVO seismometers recorded 4 small-magnitude earthquakes (below M3.0) in the vicinity of the volcano, in addition to the M4.7 earthquake recorded on May 21 about 2.0 km (1 mi) east-northeast of Kailua-Kona, at a depth of 11.0 km (7 mi) below sea level. This earthquake count is on par with previous months.

More details on the M4.7 earthquake are available in the HVO Information Statement issued for the event (https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/hans2/view/notice/DOI-USGS-HVO-2022-05-22T03:34:44-07:00) and at the National Earthquake Information Center webpage for the event (https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/hv73019747).

Background: Hualālai is the third most active volcano on the Island of Hawaiʻi and typically erupts two to three times per 1,000 years. Hualālai last erupted in 1801 and, more recently, had a damaging seismic swarm in 1929 that was probably the result of a shallow intrusion of magma. Hualālai Volcano is monitored by a continuous GPS instrument and seismometer located southeast of the summit, as well as several instruments on nearby flanks of Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea. Key sites on Hualālai and western Mauna Loa are resurveyed using GPS receivers every few years to detect any changes in the volcano's shape.

More Information:
Hualālai volcano summary also available by phone: (808) 967-8877
Hualālai website: https://www.usgs.gov/volcanoes/hualalai

HALEAKALA VOLCANO (VNUM #332060)
20°42'29" N 156°15' W, Summit Elevation 10023 ft (3055 m)
Current Volcano Alert Level: NORMAL
Current Aviation Color Code: GREEN

No significant activity was detected at Haleakalā Volcano during the past month. HVO seismometers recorded no earthquakes in the vicinity of the volcano. This earthquake count is on par with previous months. The continuously recording Global Positioning System (GPS) instrument atop Haleakalā (MAUI) recorded no significant deformation.

Background: The most recent eruption on Haleakalā was probably between A.D. 1480 and 1600. Haleakalā Volcano is monitored by a continuous GPS instrument and seismometer located near the southwest edge of the summit crater. Key sites on Haleakalā are resurveyed using GPS receivers every few years to detect any changes in the volcano's shape.

More Information:
Haleakalā volcano summary also available by phone: (808) 967-8877
Haleakalā website: https://www.usgs.gov/volcanoes/haleakala

MAUNA KEA VOLCANO (VNUM #332030)
19°49'12" N 155°28'12" W, Summit Elevation 13796 ft (4205 m)
Current Volcano Alert Level: NORMAL
Current Aviation Color Code: GREEN

No significant activity was detected at Mauna Kea Volcano during the past month. HVO seismometers recorded approximately 39 small-magnitude earthquakes (below M3.0) in the vicinity of the volcano. This earthquake count is on par with previous months. The continuously recording Global Positioning System (GPS) instrument atop Mauna Kea (MKPM, operated by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory) recorded no significant deformation.

Background: Mauna Kea is a shield volcano in the post-shield stage; it last erupted about 4,600 years ago. Monitoring is conducted by one GPS instrument and three seismometers on the volcano, plus instruments on adjacent Kohala volcano and denser geodetic and seismic networks on the north flank of Mauna Loa to the south. With a summit at 4,207 meters (13,803 feet) above sea level, Mauna Kea is the tallest mountain in the State of Hawaii, and it is the tallest mountain on Earth when measured from its base on the ocean floor.

More Information:
Mauna Kea volcano summary also available by phone: (808) 967-8877
Mauna Kea website: https://www.usgs.gov/volcanoes/mauna-kea

KAMA'EHUAKANALOA VOLCANO (VNUM #332000)
18°55'12" N 155°16'12" W, Summit Elevation -3199 ft (-975 m)
Current Volcano Alert Level: UNASSIGNED
Current Aviation Color Code: UNASSIGNED

No significant activity was detected at Kamaʻehuakanaloa Volcano (formerly Lōʻihi Seamount) during the past month. HVO seismometers recorded approximately 23 small-magnitude earthquakes (below M3.0) in the vicinity of the volcano. This earthquake count is typical of background-level activity for the volcano in recent years.

Background: Intermittent earthquake activity has been recorded in the vicinity of Kamaʻehuakanaloa (formerly Lōʻihi) since as early as 1952. The most energetic earthquake sequence occurred in July-August 1996, which included more than 4,000 earthquakes, with nearly 300 events larger than M3.0 and 95 events in the M4.0 to 4.9 range. More recently, a swarm of 100 earthquakes occurred on May 11, 2020, with 18 events in the M3.0 to 3.9 range. There are no working monitoring instruments on Kamaʻehuakanaloa, whose peak is about 1,000 meters (3,280 feet) below sea level. All real-time information about the volcano is derived from land-based seismometers on the Island of Hawai‘i.

More Information:
Kamaʻehuakanaloa website: https://www.usgs.gov/volcanoes/kama'ehuakanaloa


Hawaiian Volcanoes at Elevated Alert Levels:
Kīlauea Volcano (ORANGE/WATCH) updates: https://www.usgs.gov/volcanoes/kilauea/volcano-updates
Mauna Loa Volcano (YELLOW/ADVISORY) updates: https://www.usgs.gov/volcanoes/mauna-loa/volcano-updates

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Summary of volcanic hazards from eruptions: https://www.usgs.gov/observatories/hvo/hazards
Recent earthquakes in Hawaiʻi (map and list): https://www.usgs.gov/observatories/hvo
Explanation of Volcano Alert Levels and Aviation Color Codes: https://www.usgs.gov/programs/VHP/volcanic-alert-levels-characterize-conditions-us-volcanoes



CONTACT INFORMATION:

askHVO@usgs.gov

The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory is one of five volcano observatories within the U.S. Geological Survey and is responsible for monitoring volcanoes and earthquakes in Hawaiʻi.