Earthquake Swarm In Hawaii Signals Possible Volcanic Eruption

Hundreds of earthquakes struck Hawaii over the weekend, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) reported, with rates reaching nearly 30 per hour. The quakes were centralized at Kīlauea on Hawaii's Big Island, a volcano along the southeastern shore.

There were over 300 earthquakes detected beneath the summit in the past 24 hours, mostly below the south caldera region at depths of 1.5–3 km (1–1.8 mi). - USGS public notice

The largest quake, a magnitude 3.2, struck Monday at 1:31 a.m. local time, less than 4 miles south of Volcano in Hawaii County. The increasing seismic activity is a precursor to a possible volcanic eruption, according to the USGS, but as of Monday morning, Kilauea was not erupting.

The volcano last erupted on June 3, about a mile south of Kilauea caldera within Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, a popular tourist destination. It was the first eruption in 50 years; the previous one took place in December 1974. The current USGS Volcano Alert Level is at "ADVISORY." The USGS and the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory are closely monitoring the situation.