2023 FILE VIDEO: The USGS shared video of lava shooting into the air after Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano erupted for the third time this year on Sunday.
HAWAII VOLCANO NATIONAL PARK – Geologists are issuing warnings for Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano after increased earthquake activity that may be a sign of an impending eruption.
Kilauea’s last active eruption was on June 3, which ended a few days later. Since July, the Hawaii Volcano Observatory (HVO) of the US Geological Survey (USGS) has been closely monitoring earthquake swarms and ongoing unrest.
With the latest update on Wednesday, the HVO issued a warning, meaning the volcano is showing increased signs of unrest. The USGS issues flight warnings in the event of an eruption, as it can spew ash into the atmosphere and cause visibility and operational problems for aircraft. On Wednesday, the flight warning code is yellow.
WHAT HAPPENS BEFORE A VOLCANO ERUPTS?
More than 200 earthquakes occurred between the summit of Kilauea and the rift zones. Most of these quakes occurred near the Puhimau crater in the UERZ region.
About 16 earthquakes with a magnitude of less than 2 were recorded south of Halema’uma’u and near Keanakāko’i Crater.
Smoke rises from the Halemaʻumaʻu crater of the Hawaiian volcano Kilauea on August 21, 2024.
(USGS)
“Most of the earthquakes were too weak to be felt, but several earthquakes were reported in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and surrounding communities,” the HVO said.
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Hawaii Volcanoes National Park remains open. If there are significant changes in activity, a Volcanic Activity Warning will be issued, which may result in temporary closures.
In addition to monitoring volcanic activity, Hawaii authorities are also paying attention to possible tropical developments in the eastern and central Pacific. The National Hurricane Center is issuing updates for Hurricanes 90E and 91E, which are expected to converge and impact the Hawaiian Islands in the coming days.
According to the FOX Forecast Center, the extent of these impacts cannot yet be estimated.
