USGS Volcano Notice - DOI-USGS-HVO-2023-05-29T11:38:11-07:00

Activity Summary:  Kīlauea volcano is not erupting. Kīlauea summit is currently exhibiting signs of heightened unrest. Summit seismicity remains elevated. No unusual activity has been noted along Kīlauea’s East Rift Zone or Southwest Rift Zone. 

Halemaʻumaʻu Lava Lake Observations: No active lava has been observed over the past day. A live-stream video of the crater is available at https://www.youtube.com/usgs/live.

Summit Observations: Inflationary tilt and elevated seismicity continue at Kīlauea’s summit.  Daily rates have been somewhat variable, but over the past several months, both deformation and seismicity rates have been elevated beyond those observed preceding the January 5, 2023 summit eruption.  Earthquake rates remain elevated mostly beneath Kīlauea summit and Nāmakanipaio, with over 80 recorded in the past day. Most of the earthquakes have been smaller than magnitude-2 and not reported felt. The most recent sulfur dioxide (SO₂) emission rate of approximately 120 tonnes per day was measured on May 26, 2023.  

Rift Zone Observations: No unusual activity has been noted along the East Rift Zone or Southwest Rift Zone; steady 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: Recent eruptions at the summit of Kīlauea volcano have been occurring within a closed area of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. High levels of volcanic gas are the primary hazard of concern, as this hazard can have far-reaching effects downwind. Large amounts of volcanic gas—primarily water vapor (H₂O), carbon dioxide (CO₂), and sulfur dioxide (SO₂)—are continuously released during eruptions of Kīlauea. As SO₂ is released from the summit, it reacts in the atmosphere to create the visible haze known as vog (volcanic smog) that has been observed downwind of the volcano. Vog creates the potential for airborne health hazards to residents and visitors, damages agricultural crops and other plants, and affects livestock. For more information on gas hazards at the summit of Kīlauea, please see https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/fs20173017. Vog information can be found at https://vog.ivhhn.org. 

Additional hazards during a summit eruption may include Pele's hair and other lightweight volcanic glass fragments from lava fountains that fall downwind and dust the ground within a few hundred meters (yards) of the erupting fissure vent(s). Strong winds may waft lighter particles to greater distances. Residents 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 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.

Please see the Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park website for visitor information: https://www.nps.gov/havo/index.htm. Visitors to Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park should note that under southerly (non-trade) wind conditions, there is potential for a dusting of powdery to gritty ash composed of volcanic glass and rock fragments. These represent a minor hazard, but visitors should be aware that such dustings at areas around the Kīlauea summit are possible. 

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