(BIVN) – Kīlauea volcano is not erupting and the USGS Alert Level remains at ADVISORY.

Scientists with the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory say slightly elevated seismicity continues in the summit region, upper East Rift Zone, and Southwest Rift Zone. A slight decline in seismicity has been noted compared to recent days. No unusual activity has been noted along the middle and lower sections of Kīlauea’s East Rift Zone.

“Unrest may continue to wax and wane with fluctuating input of magma to the area, and eruptive activity could occur in the near future with little or no warning,” HVO scientists say.

From the USGS HVO update published on Monday morning, December 11:

Summit Observations:  Seismicity in Kīlauea’s summit region remains elevated, but the past couple days have seen a slight decline in earthquake rates. Most of the earthquakes have been focused in a cluster just southeast of Kaluapele, Kīlauea’s summit caldera.

The Uēkahuna summit tiltmeter—located northwest of the caldera—tracked a deflation-inflation event from midday Saturday through yesterday (Sunday) afternoon, then a quick onset of steady deflation early this morning. The Sand Hill tiltmeter—located southwest of the caldera—has tracked similar trends. Overall, the summit of Kīlauea remains at a high level of inflation; relative tilt is above the level reached prior to the most recent eruption in September 2023, and it is higher than at any time since the 2018 eruption.

Sulfur dioxide (SO2) gas emission rates remain low. Field measurements indicated an SO2 emission rate of approximately 70 tonnes per day on December 5, which was similar to measurements in October and November.

There are currently no signs of an imminent eruption, but the summit region remains unsettled, with a high level of inflation and continued seismic activity. The onsets of previous summit eruptions have been marked by strong swarms of earthquakes caused by the emplacement of a dike 1–2 hours before the appearance of lava, and these swarms are not being detected at this time.

As of Monday, only the Mauna Iki Trail in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park is closed due to volcanic unrest in the area.