Ground deformation & earthquake activity continues beneath Kīlauea summit -USGS

(Official Kīlauea volcano release from the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory - Alert level is unchanged. Image: Two distinct earthquake clusters in the recent swarm, credit @jeffersonite via Twitter.) Release Date: AUGUST 28, 2021 Kīlauea volcano is not erupting. However, intrusive activity that began on August 23 continues south of Kīlauea caldera. Starting on the evening of August 26, ground deformation in Kīlauea’s south summit region resumed at the higher rates seen in the first intrusive pulse spanning August 23-25. Current Volcano Alert Level: ADVISORY Current Aviation Color Code: YELLOW Activity Summary: Kīlauea volcano is not erupting. However, intrusive activity that began on August 23 continues south of Kīlauea caldera. Starting on the evening of August 26, ground deformation in Kīlauea’s south summit region resumed at the higher rates seen in the first intrusive pulse spanning August 23-25. In contrast, current earthquake activity remains low compared to the earlier pulses of this intrusive activity. The East Rift Zone remains quiet. Observations: The rate of ground deformation beneath the south part of Kīlauea summit region, within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, began increasing again on the evening of August 26 and continues at this time. These observations suggest that magma is continuing to be supplied to the ongoing intrusion. Over the past 24 hours, approximately 80 earthquakes were recorded at Kīlauea summit and south of Kīlauea caldera. Most of the earthquakes were less than magnitude 2 and occurred approximately 1-4 km (0.6-2.5 mi) below the surface. These small earthquakes have occurred at up to 7 detected earthquakes per hour. These earthquake rates are significantly lower than the rates observed earlier this week. At the time of this statement, activity continues but there is no indication of upward migration of earthquakes toward the surface or change in deformation that would indicate shallowing of the source intrusive activity. Accordingly, Kīlauea’s Volcano Alert Level and Aviation Color Code remain at ADVISORY/YELLOW. The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) continues to closely monitor Kīlauea for changes in activity. HVO will continue to issue Kīlauea status reports and additional messages as needed.