Hawaiian Volcano Update: Kīlauea Inflates Following Swarm & M4.1, July 11, 2024

Following the June 27-July 1 Upper East Rift earthquake swarm, Kīlauea has continued to receive and accommodate magma underground as evidenced by ground tilt and GPS monitors. A widely-felt magnitude 4.1 quake on Kīlauea’s south flank on July 6 was situated roughly 6 miles southeast of the Upper East Rift, a likely consequence of building pressure on the volcano, followed by small aftershocks for several days. Since then, earthquakes activated both within the South Caldera and Upper East Rift, with higher counts initially on the rift progressing to higher counts near the caldera within the last two days. According to the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, “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.”

Volcanic gas emissions remain the primary ongoing threat to residents and visitors, but have been measured relatively low around 60 tonnes of SO2 per day; even so, gases are still a concern for sensitive individuals nearby. Further, as earthquakes continue to ramp up month after month, residents are also facing increased seismic threat and should prepare accordingly.

Maunaloa volcano remains relatively quiet, continuing to recharge in the normal pattern following its 2022 eruption, perhaps with a slight bump in inflation over the past week. Minor flank movement on Maunaloa has also been occasionally evident in response to events on Kīlauea, but with no significant long-term effect.

As a special inclusion, we will look back at this two-week period 6 years ago during the 2018 eruption of Kīlauea. We discuss lava channel overflows, small explosive bursts from fissure 22, the impact on sea life, and the loss of Kua O Ka Lā school. 

As usual, we review the monitoring signals, imagery, and reports available courtesy of the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, annotating the presentation on screen as we go and discussing live viewer questions. 
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