Kīlauea Eruption Fully Paused

After two and a half weeks of reduced activity, Kīlauea's eruption has fully paused with no active lava presently visible at the surface. According to the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory's daily update, it appears that "no new lava is being emplaced under the crusted crater floor" based on reduced seismic tremor, "but it is possible that previously accumulated lava may feed further ooze-outs at the surface." Relevant sections of today's USGS-HVO Daily Update: Activity Summary: The summit eruption of Kīlauea Volcano, within Halemaʻumaʻu crater, has paused. Lava is no longer flowing on the crater floor, where all recent eruptive activity has been confined. No significant changes have been observed along either of the volcano's rift zones. Halemaʻumaʻu Crater Observations: Yesterday morning, small ooze-outs of lava were flowing sluggishly in the footprint of the inactive western lava lake, within the basin that remained from the end of the 2021–2022 eruption. Ooze-out activity diminished in the afternoon, and today no active lava has been observed in Halemaʻumaʻu crater. Monitoring data also suggest that no new lava is being emplaced under the crusted crater floor, but it is possible that previously accumulated lava may feed further ooze-outs at the surface. Several hornitos on the crater floor are still glowing in overnight webcam views, but these are not erupting any lava. The recent reduction in activity is related to a large deflationary tilt signal that began on February 17. A live-stream video of the inactive western lava lake area is available at https://www.youtube.com/usgs/live. Summit Observations: Following a large deflationary tilt signal that began on February 17 and lasted until early February 19, summit tiltmeters have tracked several smaller deflation/inflation (DI) events. Over the course of these DI events there has been a slight increase in net tilt, but the summit remains deflated compared to the period leading up to February 17. Eruptive activity on the Halemaʻumaʻu crater floor may resume if the summit re-inflates to the prior level. Volcanic tremor has dropped slightly in recent weeks, approaching background level. A sulfur dioxide (SO2) emission rate of approximately 250 tonnes per day (t/d) was measured on February 28. Rift Zone Observations: No unusual activity has been noted along the East Rift Zone or Southwest Rift Zone; steady rates of ground deformation and seismicity continue along both. Measurements from continuous gas monitoring stations downwind of Puʻuʻōʻō—the 1983–2018 eruptive vent—in the middle East Rift Zone have been below detection limits for SO2, indicating that SO2 emissions from Puʻuʻōʻō are negligible. Video: Thermal time-lapse of Kīlauea summit over the past 24 hours, showing hot areas but no active lava flows.