Earthquake swarm underneath Kīlauea’s upper East Rift Zone, Hawaii
A significant earthquake swarm is taking place underneath Kīlauea’s upper East Rift Zone since June 27, 2024. The swarm, located beneath the Chain of Craters Road within Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, intensified on June 30, with around 30 events per hour.
As per the latest update at 11:43 UTC on June 30, Kīlauea’s Volcano Alert Level is at Advisory and Aviation Color Code at Yellow.
The intensity of seismicity escalated late on June 29 (LT) — early June 30 — with earthquake rates reaching approximately 30 events per hour, according to the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO).
Most earthquakes are centered in the region between Puhimau Crater and the Hilina Pali Road intersection at depths of 1.5 – 3 km (1 – 1.8 miles). Additionally, the seismic activity extends north toward Keanakākoʻi Crater and south to Pauahi Crater.
The largest earthquake in this swarm was an M3.0 event at 11:03 UTC on June 30 just north of Hiʻiaka Crater at a depth of 3 km (2 miles).
Despite the increased seismicity, no significant changes in ground deformation have been observed.
“Following the eruption on June 3, 2024, magma has been repressurizing the storage system beneath Halemaʻumaʻu and the south caldera region, activating earthquakes in the upper East Rift Zone and in the caldera south of Halemaʻumaʻu,” HVO volcanologists said.
“At this time, it is not possible to say whether this increase in activity will lead to an intrusion or an eruption in the near future, or simply continue as seismic unrest at depth.”
Previous eruptions and intrusions beneath the upper East Rift Zone have occurred in the vicinity of Pauahi Crater and Hiʻiaka Crater to the southeast and around Luamanu and Keanakākoʻi Craters at the margin of the caldera. This region erupted several times during the 1960s and 1970s. The most recent eruption took place over a single day in November 1979 within and near Pauahi Crater.
“Currently, there is no indication that magma is moving towards the June 3, 2024, eruption site southwest of the caldera. However, changes in the character and location of unrest can occur quickly, as can the potential for eruption.”
References:
1 Kīlauea status report- Upper East Rift Zone Earthquake Swarm – USGS – June 30, 2024
Featured image credit: TW/SAM, ESRI
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