Middle East Rift Zone eruption at Kīlauea ends after nearly a week of activity

The middle East Rift Zone eruption of Kīlauea that began on Sunday, Sept. 15 has ended and is unlikely to restart, according to the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. The agency is lowering the Volcano Alert Level for ground-based hazards from WATCH to ADVISORY and the Aviation Color Code from ORANGE to YELLOW. 

The eruption in and near Nāpau Crater had four eruptive phases between Sept. 15 and 20. The final eruptive activity from a small vent west of Nāpau Crater ended at about 10 a.m. HST on Sept. 20.

All observable and instrumental signs of potential for renewed eruptive activity have declined since that time. Seismicity in the area is extremely low and tremor, characteristic of magma within vents, is no longer being recorded by seismometers in the area, according to the HVO.

In addition, the ground deformation data that showed magma was moving from the summit to the middle East Rift Zone has slowed dramatically or stopped altogether. Volcanic gas emissions have decreased to near background levels. All of these factors indicate that this eruption has ended, the HVO reports.

Recent eruptive activity took place in a remote area of Kīlauea’s middle East Rift Zone, within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. No changes have been detected in the lower East Rift Zone, or Southwest Rift Zone.