USGS Volcano Notice - DOI-USGS-HVO-2024-07-29T18:43:07+00:00

Activity Summary: Kīlauea is not erupting. Over the past 24 hours, there has been minor seismic activity and ground deformation at the summit and upper East Rift Zone. Additional seismic swarms may occur with little or no warning and result in either intrusion of magma or eruption of lava.

Summit and Upper East Rift Zone Observations: Over the past 24 hours, there were approximately 11 earthquakes detected beneath Kīlauea’s summit, and approximately 38 earthquakes detected beneath the upper East Rift Zone (UERZ), mostly at depths of 0–4 km (0.0–2.5 mi) below the ground surface. Tiltmeters in Kīlauea summit region recorded minor to no inflation and a tiltmeter in the UERZ recorded no inflation or deflation. The most recent measurement of the summit's SO₂ emission rate was approximately 65 tonnes per day on July 23, 2024.

Middle and Lower Rift Zone Observations: Rates of seismicity and ground deformation beneath the middle and lower East Rift Zone and lower Southwest Rift Zone remain low. Recent eruptive activity and ongoing unrest have been restricted to the summit and upper rift zone regions. Measurements from continuous gas monitoring stations downwind of Puʻuʻōʻō in the middle East Rift Zone—the site of 1983–2018 eruptive activity—remain below detection limits for SO₂, indicating that SO₂ emissions from Puʻuʻōʻō are negligible.

Analysis: Pulses of earthquakes beneath Kīlauea's upper East Rift Zone from July 22-25, 2024, represented stages of an intrusion between Pauahi Crater and Maunaulu. More than 1500 earthquakes were detected, including 30 earthquakes magnitude-3 or greater. The intrusion and unrest are now over but additional swarms may occur with little or no warning and result in either intrusion of additional magma or eruption of lava. 

A summary of the first three pulses of intense seismicity activity, written during the upper East Rift Zone intrusion, is provide in an information statement published on July 24: https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/hans-public/notice/DOI-USGS-HVO-2024-07-25T02:17:22+00:00.

Updates: The USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) will continue to provide daily updates for Kīlauea volcano. Should volcanic activity change significantly, a Volcanic Activity Notice will be issued. HVO is in close contact with Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. The Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park website will have information about any temporary closures: https://www.nps.gov/havo/learn/news/newsreleases.htm 

Recent Eruption Information: Kīlauea erupted briefly on June 3, 2024, southwest of the summit region within a closed area of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. For more information about this eruption, see this webpage: https://www.usgs.gov/volcanoes/kilauea/science/june-2024-kilauea-southwest-rift-zone-eruption.

Hazards: Shallow magma movement can produce minor to severe ground fractures and subsidence features, which can affect the landscape, human activity, and infrastructure. These ground cracks can continue to widen and offset as magma migration continues, may have unstable overhanging edges, and should be avoided. 

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.

Near the recent Southwest 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.

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

The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) continues to closely monitor Kīlauea Volcano.

Please see the Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park website for visitor information: https://www.nps.gov/havo/index.htm.