A small seismic swarm is ongoing beneath the summit of Mauna Loa volcano.
Since 2 a.m. today, the U.S. Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory has recorded more than 38 earthquakes up to 2.7-magnitude beneath the summit caldera region, with most earthquakes in a cluster about 3.1 miles wide and -1.2 to 0.6 miles below the surface.
These earthquakes may result from changes in the magma storage system and/or may be part of normal readjustments of the volcano due to changing stresses within it.
HVO continues to monitor Hawaiian volcanoes for any changes.
“Seismic activity beneath Mauna Loa has been gradually increasing over the past two months,” said HVO Scientist-in-Charge Ken Hon. “Small earthquake swarms are considered a normal part of this increase in activity. Currently there are no indications that magma is moving toward the surface and other monitoring systems are displaying normal behavior.
“Levels of seismicity and deformation remain below those recorded during the winter of 2021. HVO will continue to closely monitor this activity and report any significant changes.”