Hawaii Volcano Has Fourth Earthquake Swarm in a Week

Hawaiian volcano Kilauea has had its fourth earthquake swarm in just one week, as it continues a period of increased unrest.

In an update issued on August 23, the Hawaii Volcano Observatory (HVO) reported that a swarm of 50 earthquakes has rattled Kilauea in recent days.

The volcano lies in the southeast of Hawaii in the Volcanoes National Park to the east of the Mauna Loa observatory.

This is the fourth earthquake swarm the volcano has seen in a week, likely caused by magma moving within the southern caldera—the depression that can be seen at the top of the volcano.

Kilauea—Hawaii's most active and dangerous volcano—has been exhibiting signs of unrestfor a few weeks.

Since August 15, the HVO has been issuing daily updates on Kilauea's activity, keeping a close eye on potential signs of eruption.

These intense earthquake swarms are a sign that the unrest is continuing, although an eruption has not yet occurred.

Scientists at HVO closely monitor Hawaii's volcanoes constantly to determine any change in behavior. Although eruptions can be difficult to predict, volcanoes usually enter a state of unrest, such as this, before doing so.

Such periods are not unusual for Kilauea, as the extremely active volcano has been erupting regularly since 1983.

In December 2022, the volcano stopped erupting for the first time since September 2021, but the quiet period did not last long.

Its last eruption occurred just over two months ago on June 7. Thankfully, it was not destructive and stayed contained within the crater.

Although the volcano does have the potential to be dangerous, the eruptions are not usually harmful to the surrounding communities.

In 2018, however, a particularly destructive eruption caused large lava flows throughout the Puna District, which destroyed more than 700 homes from May through August.

The summit area of the national park was drastically changed as the volcano triggered tens of thousands of earthquakes.

This eruption was the largest seen at Kilauea in 200 years. It was unusual as most of Kilauea's eruptions tend not to be so destructive, with the majority contained to the crater.

When an eruption does take place, the observatory streams it live on its website, so it can be watched by the public in real time.

The Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is also home to Mauna Loa, the biggest volcano from top to bottom, on Earth.

In November last year, the volcano erupted for the first time in nearly 40 years. Thankfully, the eruption was not deadly.

Do you have a tip on a science story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have a question about Kilauea? Let us know via science@newsweek.com.