UPDATE: According to a Tuesday morning civil defense update, activity has decreased at the Kilauea summit and lower east rift zone. “Seismic activity is low with few felt earthquakes at the summit,” civil defense added. “Crews overnight in the lower east rift report only glow in fissure 8.” Officials continue to monitor Kilauea for signs of reactivation of activity. Several overflights are scheduled throughout the day to visually monitor the volcano.

“Do not access the flow field due to extreme hazard,” civil defense said. “Lava eruption could resume at any time.”

(BIVN) – The summit of Kilauea Volcano has gone relatively quiet, with the last collapse event occurring on August 4. The eruption of lava from Fissure 8 on the lower East Rift Zone has become greatly reduced. “The significance of this change is not yet clear and hazardous conditions remain in the area,” the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory noted in recent updates.

On Monday, the USGS organized an unscheduled media conference call to convey their latest observations, and answer questions about the apparent lull in the volcanic activity.

“Summit and LERZ changes considered together imply that the rate of magma leaving the summit to feed the Lower East Rift Zone eruption has decreased,” recent USGS messages have stated. “How long this condition will persist is unknown. It is possible that outflow will pick up again, resulting in renewed summit area deflation leading to another collapse event and renewed eruption vigor on the LERZ.”

USGS HVO scientist-in-charge Tina Neal was on Monday’s conferece call. She talked about the precursor signs that the eruption might be waning, the possible effects of a hurricane on the eruption, and what might happen next on Kilauea Volcano.