Early Morning Earthquake Swarm Beneath Kilauea's Upper East Rift Zone

About 70 shallow earthquakes in 2 hours occurred beneath the upper east rift zone of Kilauea early this morning. The swarm began at 2:15 a.m. on Sunday, June 17 and is ongoing. The earthquakes are centered 1 km (1 mile) southwest of Mauna Ulu and are concentrated between 1.5 and 3 kilometers (1-2 miles) deep. As of 4:30 a.m., ten of the quakes had magnitudes greater than 3 and were felt by nearby residents. All data so far is consistent with the event being a shallow intrusion of magma. The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory is watching the situation closely and has deployed field crews to the scene.

Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park has taken the following precautionary measures: Chain of Craters road is closed. Crater Rim Drive is closed between Jaggar museum and the Thurston lava tube parking lot. NPS personnel are sweeping both roads to evacuate visitors.

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For eruption updates and information on recent earthquakes in Hawai'i, visit the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory website at http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov.

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