Seismic activity, eruptions, and earth science.
Kīlauea volcano in Hawaii has escalated to ORANGE alert status with precursory lava eruptions beginning May 31, while multiple volcanoes show heightened unrest globally. Mount Merapi recorded pyroclastic flows, and Sakurajima continues expansion, signaling active volcanic instability across the Pacific Ring of Fire.
Global volcanic activity remains elevated with Mayon volcano in the Philippines issuing ash advisories, while scientists have made new discoveries about why large earthquakes don't always trigger eruptions. Mount Rainier in Washington poses significant lahar hazards to nearby communities, a threat that requires no eruption to activate.
Mayon volcano in the Philippines continued active eruptions on May 29, with ash advisories issued by Tokyo's VAAC. Great Sitkin in Alaska reported ongoing lava extrusion within its summit crater at ORANGE alert level. Mount Merapi in Indonesia produced lava avalanches reaching 1,900 meters, while global seismic activity included a magnitude 5.3 quake near the Revillagigedo Islands on May 28.
Global seismic activity remains elevated with 515 earthquakes recorded on May 27, including six magnitude 5.0+ events linked to volcanic unrest. Kīlauea's Halemaʻumaʻu eruption is currently paused with glow visible from vents, while volcanic activity continues at Popocatépetl, Fuego, and Asama in the Western Pacific.
Global seismic activity surged on May 27 with 515 earthquakes recorded worldwide, including six magnitude 5.0+ events. Meanwhile, Hawaii's Kīlauea volcano remains under observation following last week's magnitude-6.0 earthquake, though its Halemaʻumaʻu eruption is currently paused. A magnitude-2.3 tremor struck Greece on May 26, and elevated volcanic unrest continues across multiple Pacific regions.
Volcanic unrest is intensifying across multiple regions simultaneously, with Reventador producing massive ash output, Campi Flegrei showing increasing uplift, and Bezymianny releasing ash to 10,000 feet. Meanwhile, a magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck Indonesia's Maluku Sea on May 26, and Kīlauea's eruption remains paused at ADVISORY level following the end of its 46th lava fountain episode.
Kilauea volcano on Hawaii's Big Island remains under close watch as its Halema'uma'u eruption is currently paused following a significant M6.0 earthquake that struck near Honaunau-Napoopoo on May 22. Meanwhile, Philippines volcano Mayon produced an ash advisory on May 23, while global seismic activity remains at moderate levels with no major magnitude 7+ events recorded in May 2026.
Hawaii's Big Island is on high alert after a M6.0 earthquake struck near Honaunau-Napoopoo on May 23, with USGS forecasting a possible new Kīlauea eruption episode between Sunday and Wednesday. Today's global seismic report shows moderate activity with one M6.0+ event in the past 24 hours. Meanwhile, Costa Rica is facing a critical funding crisis that threatens to dismantle its earthquake and volcano monitoring network.
A shallow M4.4 earthquake triggered a seismic swarm at Italy's Campi Flegrei caldera on May 21, while Indonesia's Mount Sinabung recorded a significant increase in seismic activity on May 22, raising concerns about potential eruptions. Meanwhile, Great Sitkin in Alaska continues its slow lava eruption at ORANGE/WATCH alert, and Kīlauea's Halemaʻumaʻu eruption remains paused at ADVISORY/YELLOW.
A magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck the Maluku Sea near Indonesia's Pulau Mayu Island today, while Ecuador's Sangay and Reventador volcanoes continue generating volcanic ash advisories. Indonesia's CVGHM raised the alert level at one volcano to Level 3 on May 19, signaling elevated concern, and Kīlauea's Halemaʻumaʻu eruption remains paused as of today's USGS update.
A magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck near the southern East Pacific Rise on May 20, drawing a green USGS PAGER alert with no significant casualties expected. In Peru, a strong M5.9 quake rattled the Ica region on May 19. On the volcanic front, Kīlauea's Halemaʻumaʻu eruption remains paused, while Indonesia's Ibu volcano continued erupting through May 18–19, and the Volcano News blog spotlights updates on Awu and Colombia's active volcanoes.
A magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck near Naha, Okinawa, Japan today, marking the most significant seismic event of the past 24 hours. On the volcanic front, Kīlauea's Halemaʻumaʻu eruption remains paused following episode 47, while global volcanic activity including Fuego, Klyuchevskoy, Popocatépetl, and Semeru remained active as of May 18. The worldwide earthquake report for May 18 confirms continued seismic activity across multiple regions.
A magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck near Port Vila, Vanuatu on May 19, with a shallow depth of 27 km felt widely across the region. On the volcanic front, Kīlauea's Halemaʻumaʻu eruption remains paused following Episode 47, while fresh reports document overnight lahars at Reventador, a 400-meter plume from Satsuma, and elevated seismic and infrasound activity at Shishaldin.
A magnitude 3.4 earthquake struck northeast of Calama, Chile on May 16, while Kīlauea's latest eruption episode paused after nine hours of lava fountaining. The VolcanoDiscovery global watch page continues to log activity at Lewotobi (Laki-Laki), Indonesia, which remains on Alert Level 3.
Mayon Volcano in the Philippines continues to show intensified unrest with Alert Level 3 maintained, while Kīlauea's summit eruption remains paused at YELLOW/ADVISORY status. A magnitude 2.2 earthquake struck West Papua, Indonesia today, as the global seismic network remains active across multiple regions.
A powerful magnitude 6.7 earthquake struck off the coast of northeastern Japan on May 15, felt widely across the region. On the volcanic front, Kīlauea's latest eruptive episode ended abruptly overnight, while Bezymianny in Russia had its alert level raised to orange amid increased activity, and multiple volcanoes including Reventador, Fuego, and Semeru continued active eruptions globally.
Kīlauea volcano in Hawaii has resumed activity with precursory lava overflows at the Halemaʻumaʻu south vent, raising the aviation color code to Orange and the alert level to Watch. Mayon volcano in the Philippines produced an ash-generating eruption on May 13, while Kupreanof volcano in Alaska remains at elevated Yellow alert status. A magnitude 5.2 earthquake struck near Iwo Jima, Japan early on May 15, and a new scientific study reveals how a massive "stealth" magma surge beneath Portugal's São Jorge Island triggered thousands of earthquakes in 2022.
A comprehensive volcano news roundup from May 12 details significant developments across multiple systems, including rising magma volumes under Iceland's Svartsengi, elevated alert levels for Indonesia's Lewotobi, and Kupreanof in Alaska upgraded to Yellow Advisory. Meanwhile, Kīlauea's summit eruption remains paused at Advisory level, and a minor magnitude 2.4 earthquake was recorded near Ternate, Indonesia earlier today.
Volcanic activity dominates today's watch, with Kīlauea's summit eruption currently paused but forecasted to resume (Episode 47) between May 12–15, while Kanlaon Volcano in the Philippines may be elevated to Alert Level 3 after crater glow and heightened magmatic activity. Meanwhile, Stromboli recorded a midnight-to-morning lava flow, Sakurajima continues to swell, and a fresh V-T earthquake was detected at Soufrière Hills.
Worldwide volcanic activity remains elevated on May 11, 2026, with Indonesia's Ibu volcano sending ash plumes to 7,000 feet, the Philippines' Kanlaon showing signs of potential magmatic eruption, and Kīlauea's next fountaining episode forecast to begin within days. A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck near the Rat Islands on May 9, and multiple Indonesian volcanoes continue active eruptions across the region.
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