USGS Volcano Notice - DOI-USGS-HVO-2024-11-26T18:42:22+00:00

Activity Summary: Kīlauea volcano is not erupting. Seismicity at the volcano’s summit, East Rift Zone, and Southwest Rift Zone is low and deformation is steady.

Summit Observations:  Earthquake activity at Kīlauea's summit region was generally low over the past week, with a slight increase in activity in the South Caldera region beginning around November 23.  Overall, there were 124 earthquakes in the summit, all below magnitude-2.1. Summit tiltmeters have remained fairly steady, however a tiltmeter southwest of Kaluapele showed an increase in tilting starting on Saturday, at the same time as the uptick in South Caldera seismicity. 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:  Shallow earthquake counts in the upper and middle East Rift Zone (ERZ) were low over the past week. There were 57 located earthquakes in the middle ERZ, all below magnitude-1.7.  Extension across the rift has slowed in the past couple weeks, as recorded by GPS instruments, indicating slowed inflation of the rift zone magma body. Rift zone tiltmeters have been steady, showing no significant changes. Recent eruptive activity occurred in the middle East Rift Zone in and near Nāpau Crater, between Makaopuhi Crater and Puʻuʻōʻō. 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).

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.

Updates:  HVO will issue weekly Kīlauea updates on Tuesdays until further notice. Additional messages will be issued as needed. HVO continues to closely monitor Kīlauea and is in contact with Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park and the Hawai‘i County Civil Defense Agency.  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.