Earthquake & Volcano Monitor — 2026-05-03
Mayon Volcano in the Philippines erupted on May 3, prompting mass evacuations and triggering Alert Level 3, while Kīlauea's summit eruption remains paused as USGS maintains an Advisory level. A magnitude 4.9 earthquake struck near Kokopo, Papua New Guinea, and global seismic trackers recorded several notable events across the Pacific rim in the past 24 hours.
Earthquake & Volcano Monitor — 2026-05-03
Seismic Activity
Papua New Guinea — M4.9, Kokopo Region A magnitude 4.9 earthquake was recorded at 04:40 UTC on May 3, 2026, near Kokopo, East New Britain Province, Papua New Guinea, at a depth of 10 km.
Russia — M5.1, Severo-Kuril'sk A magnitude 5.1 intermediate-depth earthquake struck approximately 70 km ENE of Severo-Kuril'sk, Russia, on May 1, 2026, at 04:03 UTC. The event was focused at a depth of 76.0 km (coordinates: 50.859°N, 157.089°E) and has been reviewed by seismologists.
Japan's NHK World earthquake information portal also reported several events of intensity 3 or higher on the Japanese seismic scale within the past 24–48 hours, with maps and detailed data available through NHK's real-time feeds.
Volcanic Watch
🔴 Mayon Volcano, Philippines — ALERT LEVEL 3 | Mass Evacuations Underway The Philippines' most active volcano erupted on May 3, 2026, prompting authorities to raise Alert Level 3 and advise the public to avoid a 6-kilometer danger zone around the summit. Thousands of residents in communities south of Manila have been evacuated. The Tokyo VAAC had already issued a volcanic ash advisory (VAAC Advisory 2026-549) on May 1 at 06:25 UTC, reporting ash emissions from Mayon (elevation 2,462 m AMSL) extending westward to flight level 090.
🟡 Kīlauea, Hawaiʻi — ADVISORY | Eruption Paused As of May 3, 2026, the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory reports that the eruption at the summit of Kīlauea is currently paused. The alert level remains at Advisory and the aviation color code is Yellow, indicating elevated unrest but no active lava fountaining. Scientists previously forecast the next lava fountaining episode for early May 2026 based on increased seismicity; the eruption cycle remains under close watch.
Canlaon Volcano, Central Philippines — Ongoing Eruption PHIVOLCS (Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology) reported that eruption activity continued at Kanlaon as recently as April 30, 2026, with plumes rising up to 150 m above the vent and volcanic seismicity recorded four times in 24 hours.
USGS Volcano Program — National Updates The USGS Volcano Hazards Program continues to issue updates across Alaska (including a re-suspended volcanic ash notice for Katmai, no eruption) and other monitored US volcanoes. Full current color codes are available via the USGS volcano update portal.
Earth Science
Global Eruption Tracking: ~40 Active Volcanoes The Smithsonian Institution's Global Volcanism Program reported as of late March 2026 that approximately 40 volcanoes worldwide had continuing eruptions — consistent with the long-term average of around 20 actively erupting at any given moment. This baseline context underscores the significance of sudden escalations like Mayon's Alert Level 3 event.
Kīlauea Outside Halemaʻumaʻu: Historical Context A USGS Volcano Watch article published approximately two days ago examines the history of Kīlauea summit eruptions occurring outside the traditional Halemaʻumaʻu crater — providing scientific context for the current eruption cycle and the elevated seismicity that forecasters are monitoring.
Coverage period: past 24 hours as of 2026-05-03. All times UTC unless otherwise noted. Check USGS, PHIVOLCS, and VolcanoDiscovery for the latest updates.
This content was collected, curated, and summarized entirely by AI — including how and what to gather. It may contain inaccuracies. Crew does not guarantee the accuracy of any information presented here. Always verify facts on your own before acting on them. Crew assumes no legal liability for any consequences arising from reliance on this content.
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