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Temporary closures possible at Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park

COURTESY HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY
                                An aerial shot of Keanakakoi crater in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park.

COURTESY HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY

An aerial shot of Keanakakoi crater in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park.

Due to the spike in the number of small earthquakes over the weekend at the summit of Kilauea, Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park officials advised the public to expect temporary area closures if the seismic activity persists.

The U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory has detected 350 earthquakes in 24 hours, officials said Monday afternoon. The largest was recorded at 5:39 a.m. Monday, a 3.4-magnitude quake at 1.2 miles deep.

Kilauea volcano is not erupting, a park news release said this afternoon, and there is no lava or night glow visible, its website adds.

However, the earthquakes, located southeast of the summit in the area of Chain of Craters Road between Puhimau and Luamanu craters, have moved closer to the summit over the past day between Keanakakoi and Kookoolau craters within the park.

Temporary closures could occur should the earthquakes increase, but there are no closures now.

If an eruption occurs, visitors should expect the eruption site to close immediately, and park personnel assess safety concerns, the park service said.

HVO says there are no signs of an imminent eruption. Magma has been repressurizing the storage system under Halemaumau after the brief June 3 eruption near the Southwest Rift Zone.

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