Increased seismic activity beneath Kilauea has prompted closures at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.
Increased seismic activity beneath Kilauea has prompted closures at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.
The U.S. Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory reported an uptick in earthquake activity beneath Kilauea’s upper East Rift Zone since Saturday. According to an alert on Monday, more than 360 earthquakes were observed within a 24-hour period compared to the 250 observed during the previous period.
Just after 11 p.m. Sunday, several stronger earthquakes — including a magnitude 3.3 temblor — set off a swarm of earthquakes beneath the upper East Rift Zone that lasted for about 45 minutes.
Meanwhile, deeper earthquakes that were occurring between 3 to 6 miles beneath Kilauea caldera have ceased.
Kilauea’s summit remains inflated, with inflation rates increasing Sunday at the same time as the earthquake swarm. Sulfur dioxide gas emission rates remain low.
While HVO reported that it is not possible to determine whether the increase in activity heralds an impending eruption — and HVO made no changes to its volcano alert level, which remains at “Yellow” — several parts of HVNP have been closed as a safety precaution.
Chain of Craters Road from the intersection at Crater Rim Drive, Hilina Pali Road and Maunaiki Trail are closed to all use, as is the Kulanaokuaiki Campground. Overnight camping at all coastal sites, Napau and Pepeiao Cabin is suspended, while Ka‘u Desert Trail is closed from the Footprints Exhibit.
According to an HVNP statement Monday, the increased seismicity has not impacted traffic safety or ongoing infrastructure improvements at the summit.
