Earthquake & Volcano Monitor — 2026-05-18

Seismic Activity

Chile — M3.4 Near Calama (May 16) A light magnitude 3.4 earthquake struck 31 km northeast of Calama, Provincia de El Loa, Region de Antofagasta, Chile on Saturday, May 16, 2026, at 5:25 pm local time (GMT −4).

No significant damage or casualty reports are associated with this event. Readers wishing to verify current seismic data should consult real-time feeds directly on source pages, as extraction from live maps may be incomplete.

Volcanic Watch

Kīlauea, Hawaiʻi — Episode 47 Ends; Status: YELLOW/ADVISORY As of May 15, 2026 at 18:55 UTC, the U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) updated Kīlauea to YELLOW/ADVISORY. Episode 47 of the ongoing Halemaʻumaʻu eruption ended in the early morning hours of May 15 at 12:27 a.m. HST after approximately nine hours of continuous lava fountaining from the north vent. The eruption is currently described as paused.

Lewotobi (Laki-Laki), Indonesia — Alert Level 3 VolcanoDiscovery's "Volcanoes Today" summary (updated within the past day) notes that activity continued at Lewotobi (Laki-Laki) on May 15, 2026 (local time). Gas and vapor plumes rose to a maximum of 100 m (328 ft) above the vent, and one low-frequency (LF) earthquake was detected. The alert level remains at Level 3 – Standby on a four-level scale, with ongoing low-frequency seismicity.

Earth Science

No peer-reviewed research articles or preparation-tip releases verified as published after May 16, 2026 were identified in today's research results. Readers are encouraged to check pre-print servers (e.g., ESSOAr) and journal websites directly for the most recent findings on seismic and volcanic hazards.