The U.S. Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory has reported an increase in seismic activity at Kīlauea volcano’s summit. The uptick in earthquakes began around November 23, mainly in the South Caldera area. Despite this activity, Kīlauea is not currently erupting.
The USGS Volcano Alert Level remains at ADVISORY. In an update released on Tuesday, November 26, HVO scientists noted the small rise in seismicity. Over the past week, earthquake activity at Kīlauea’s summit has been generally low.
There were 124 recorded earthquakes, all below magnitude 2.1.
Summit tiltmeters have mostly remained steady.
Seismic increase at Kīlauea summit
However, a specific tiltmeter southwest of Kaluapele registered an increase in deformation.
This coincided with the observed seismicity increase starting last Saturday. The most recent sulfur dioxide emission measurement from the summit was taken on September 17. It was approximately 60 tonnes per day, which aligns with noneruptive conditions.
Since then, the overall seismic activity has shown a slight upward trend. The HVO has stated that it will continue to provide weekly updates on Kīlauea’s status every Tuesday. Additional updates will be provided as needed.
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