Kilauea Volcano: Monitoring Magma Movement and Eruption Likelihood
The USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory has detailed the recent magma intrusion at Kīlauea, which prompted the raising of the volcano alert level to WATCH/ORANGE. The intrusion caused earthquake swarms and ground deformation, indicating magma movement from the storage system below Kīlauea summit to the southwest. The alert level has since been lowered to ADVISORY/WATCH, and while there hasn't been an eruption, surface cracks have formed in the Kaʻū Desert of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Intrusions are a common process for volcanoes, serving as a pressure-release valve for magma reservoirs.