(BIVN) – The National Park Service is ready to enact temporary closures within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park if seismicity beneath Kīlauea volcano increases.
Park officials issued a statement on Monday concerning the sudden spike in earthquakes that began at Kīlauea over the weekend. The Hawaiʻi island volcano is not erupting, but an ongoing seismic swarm is being monitored by scientists.
“Any substantial increases in seismicity and/or deformation could result in a new eruptive episode, but there are no signs of an imminent eruption at this time,” wrote the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory on Monday.
Geologists noted that the earthquake rate has declined from the peak period overnight from June 29th to 30th. The USGS Volcano Alert Level for Kīlauea remains at ADVISORY.
The National Park Service says there are no park closures related to the seismic swarm at this time. Over the weekend, the earthquakes were occurring southeast of the summit in the vicinity of Chain of Craters Road between Puhimau and Luamanu craters.
The NPS on Monday wrote:
Over the past day, the seismic activity has moved closer to the summit between Keanakākoʻi and Koʻokoʻolau craters in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. According to USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO), 350 earthquakes were detected over the last 24 hours, with the largest a magnitude-3.4 event at a depth of 1.2 miles (2 km) at 5:39 a.m. HST.
“If an eruption occurs, visitors should expect the eruption site to close immediately while the park assesses if safe access is possible,” park officials said.
The National Park Service recommends visitors should plan ahead and check the park website for updates.
