HVO lowers alert level after volcanic activity decreases

HONOLULU (KHON2) — Following a burst of intense activity in Kilauea’s upper East Rift Zone around 3:30 a.m. on Tuesday, both earthquake frequency and ground deformation rates have notably decreased.

As a result, the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) is downgrading the Volcano Alert Level for ground-based hazards from “WATCH” to “ADVISORY,” and the Aviation Color Code from “ORANGE” to “YELLOW.”

This morning, earthquake activity centered near Pauahi Crater in the upper East Rift Zone in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Over 100 events were recorded between 3:00 a.m. to 9 a.m., occurring at depths of 0.6 to 1.8 miles beneath the surface. Most were smaller than magnitude 3, with the largest reaching magnitude 3.4. The earthquake activity coincided with a significant change in ground deformation patterns, as indicated by the ESC tiltmeter.

The intensity of Tuesday morning’s swarm in the upper East Rift Zone resembled that seen prior to recent Kilauea summit eruptions. The sudden tiltmeter readings and concentrated earthquakes below Pauahi Crater strongly suggest magma intrusion starting 3:30 a.m. The area around Pauahi Crater has a history of both intrusive and eruptive events. The episodic nature of this activity may signify stages of intrusive activity in the past day. Further seismic swarms could occur unexpectedly, potentially leading to continued magma intrusion or lava eruptions.

To learn more about volcano alert levels and aviation color codes, visit their website.