(BIVN) – The USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory issued its monthly update on Mauna Loa volcano, reporting a slight increase in earthquake counts during the month of May.
On Thursday, the Observatory said there was total of 170 earthquakes detected beneath Mauna Loa’s summit region in the May reporting period, while April had 132 earthquakes. The events were clustered under Mokuʻāweoweo and the upper Southwest Rift Zone.
The update made note of the damaging magnitude-6 earthquake under the west flank of Mauna Loa that occurred on May 22nd. Scientists repeated the quake was not related to volcanic processes or magma movement. Rather, it was due to the bending of the Pacific Plate from the weight of the Hawaiian Islands.
Inflationary ground deformation continued over the past month. Slow inflation at the summit has been occurring at a consistent rate over the past six months, and is associated with refilling of the summit reservoir system following the 2022 eruption.
“Gas and temperature data from a station on Mauna Loa’s Southwest Rift Zone indicate these values are at background levels, with little change relative to previous months,” the Observatory stated.
Mauna Loa is the largest active volcano on Earth. It last erupted in late 2022.
