Earthquake & Volcano Monitor — 2026-05-04
A magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck off the coast of the Philippines on May 4, while Kīlauea's summit eruption remains paused with USGS forecasting the next lava fountaining episode (Episode 46) between May 4–7. Kanlaon Volcano in the Philippines continues heightened unrest at Alert Level 2, and new research highlights how subtle pre-eruption signals could revolutionize volcanic forecasting.
Earthquake & Volcano Monitor — 2026-05-04
Seismic Activity
M6.0 — Eastern Samar, Philippines (May 4, 2026)
A very strong magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck the Province of Eastern Samar in Eastern Visayas, Philippines, approximately 315 km north of Butuan, at 2:09 PM local Manila time on May 4. The event is among the most significant seismic occurrences recorded in the region over the past 24 hours.
M5.7 — Wakayama, Japan (May 2, 2026)
A strong magnitude 5.7 earthquake was recorded approximately 33 km southeast of Wakayama, Japan on Saturday, May 2 at 6:28 PM local time (GMT+9). The event was widely felt across the region.
For a full summary of Saturday's global seismic activity, VolcanoDiscovery's World Earthquake Report for May 2 provides a comprehensive overview.
Volcanic Watch
Kīlauea (Hawai'i) — YELLOW/ADVISORY | Episode 46 Forecast May 4–7
The eruption at the summit of Kīlauea is currently paused, with USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) maintaining an Alert Level of YELLOW/ADVISORY. A notice issued May 3 states that rapid inflationary tilt data from summit tiltmeters indicates Episode 46 is forecast to occur between Monday, May 4 and Thursday, May 7, 2026.
Kanlaon (Philippines) — Alert Level 2 | Elevated Unrest
Kanlaon Volcano in the Central Philippines continues to show elevated unrest. In the 24-hour period ending May 3, monitoring recorded 5 ash emission events (ranging from 19 to 72 minutes in duration), 49 volcanic earthquakes including 11 volcanic tremors (2–61 minutes long), and a sulfur dioxide flux of 3,706 tonnes/day as of May 2. The volcano remains at Alert Level 2.
Canlaon (Philippines) — Ash Advisory (May 2)
The Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC) Tokyo issued an advisory for Canlaon on May 2 at 15:07 UTC, reporting an eruption with a volcanic ash cloud of unknown height.
Earth Science
Warning Signals Detected Weeks Before Major Eruptions
New research highlighted by Earth.com (published May 2, 2026) reports that scientists have identified subtle precursory signals detectable weeks before a massive volcanic eruption. The findings suggest these early warning indicators could enable significantly earlier forecasts of volcanic activity, potentially giving authorities and communities more time to respond before catastrophic eruptions.
Santorini Restrictions Extended Through 2027
While slightly outside the strict 24-hour window, it bears noting that Santorini has announced new visitor restrictions — including the closure of a hiking trail — that may remain in place until 2027, following scientists flagging ongoing volcanic and seismic hazards at the site.
Data sourced from USGS, VolcanoDiscovery, VolcanoEarth, and Earth.com. Verify time-critical information directly with official monitoring agencies before making safety decisions.
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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