Over the past three weeks, Kilauea volcano in Hawaii has exhibited increased seismic activity, with fluctuations in shallow and deep earthquakes at the summit. The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory reports sustained low sulfur dioxide emissions and continuous monitoring due to this heightened state of unrest.
A strong earthquake registered by the USGS as M5.7 (downgraded from M6.3) hit the southeastern flank of Mauna Loa volcano in Hawaii at 20:33 UTC on February 9, 2024. The agency is reporting a depth of 36.8 km (22.8 miles).
Increased earthquake activity and signs of magma movement beneath Kīlauea’s summit, detected on January 31, 2024, have prompted the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory to elevate the volcano’s alert level from ADVISORY/YELLOW to WATCH/ORANGE. With over 500 earthquakes recorded since midnight and ground deformation indicating pressurized magma chambers, the risk of an eruption remains high.
At 01:15 UTC on September 11, 2023 (15:15 HST, September 10), the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) identified new eruptive activity at Kīlauea’s summit within Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, based on webcam images and field reports. The eruption was preceded by intense seismic activity and rapid uplift at the summit.
Destructive wildfires in Maui, Hawaii have claimed at least 80 lives in just a couple of days, as of late Friday (LT), August 11, 2023. This makes them the deadliest natural disaster in Hawaii since it joined the United States in 1959.
At least 36 people lost their lives to wildfires that engulfed Maui over the past couple of days. Fueled by the strong winds of distant Hurricane Dora, the fires have razed hundreds of structures in the historic town of Lahaina. A mass evacuation of people north of the town is in progress.
At approximately 14:44 UTC (04:44 HST) on June 7, 2023, the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) detected a glow in Kīlauea summit webcam images indicating that an eruption has commenced within Halemaʻumaʻu crater in Kīlauea’s summit caldera, within Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park.
Increased earthquake activity and changes in the patterns of ground deformation at Kīlauea’s summit began occurring on June 7, 2023, indicating the movement of magma in the subsurface.
The eruption at Kīlauea volcano in Hawaii resumed at approximately 02:34 UTC on January 6, 2023, after nearly a month of pause.
Honolulu Airlines flight 35 from Phoenix to Hawaii encountered severe turbulence roughly 30 minutes before landing in Honolulu on December 18, 2022, causing some passengers to fly out of their seats. While the plane (Airbus A330) landed safely, 36 people were injured during the event, of which 11 seriously.
