Kīlauea Alert Level Lowered to “Advisory/Yellow”

The alert level at Kīlauea volcano has returned to “Advisory/Yellow,” after it was raised two days ago during an increased period of seismic activity.

The US Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory says Kīlauea is not erupting and there has since been a decrease in activity levels and ground deformation levels beneath the southern part the summit caldera.

An earthquake swarm that began beneath the south part of Kīlauea caldera, within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, on Aug. 23, 2021, has waned, according to the USGS.

Within the past 24 hours, only 10 earthquakes have been detected in this area. The earthquake swarm began in that region at around 4:30 p.m. HST on Aug. 23 and continued until the morning of Aug. 25, 2021. According to the USGS, “478 earthquakes were detected during this swarm; the rate of earthquakes detected per hour peaked at 28 events between 7 and 8 p.m. HST on Aug. 24.” Most of the earthquakes were between magnitude 1 and 2 and occurred approximately 0.6-1.2 miles below the Earth’s surface. 

The earthquake swarm was accompanied by change in the rate and style of ground deformation. The USGS says the ground deformation in the Kīlauea summit region has since leveled off within the past 24 hours and “rapid inflation near the region of Kīlauea’s south caldera is no longer being observed.”  

“Earthquake activity and ground deformation have decreased together to levels that indicate magma is no longer moving into the region of Kīlauea’s south caldera. These changes indicate reduced potential for an eruption at this time,” according too the USGS.