(BIVN) – Seismicity continues at the Kīlauea summit and along the Koaʻe fault system, days after a magma intrusion in the area triggered the temporary upgrade in the USGS Alert Level from ADVISORY to WATCH, before it was lowered back to ADVISORY.
Recent earthquakes include this morning’s Magnitude 4.1 earthquake that occurred east northeast of Pāhala, at a depth of about 10 km, or 6 miles. That earthquake was preceded by a Magnitude 3.3 in the same area, about a hour and 40 minutes before.
On Friday, a Magnitude 5.7 earthquake deep under Pāhala shook the islands, but did not affect volcanic activity at Kīlauea or Mauna Loa.
From the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory on Sunday:
Seismicity beneath the summit and extending 5-7 miles (8-11 km) southwest of the caldera under the Koa‘e fault zone continues. Earthquake counts have been holding steady at 1–10 earthquakes per hour; dispersed widely from the summit to the southwest. There were approximately 42 earthquakes recorded across this region over the past 24 hours. Depths remain consistent, typically 1–5 km (0.6-3 mi) below the surface, and magnitudes have generally decreased to below M1.5.
In a recent information statement, the USGS wrote that “renewed episodes of heightened unrest remain a possibility, and an eruption could occur with little advance warning.”