Areas accessed by Chain of Craters Road, including coastal backcountry sites, Hilina Pali Road, Kulanaokuaiki Campground, Nāpau, and Pepeiao Cabin are now open.
The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory issued an information statement on Thursday night saying the summit region of Kīlauea is currently experiencing heightened unrest, but no eruptive activity.
Explosive eruptions are not bad everywhere. Hawaiian society southeast of Kīlauea’s summit actually benefited from some of them. These benefits result from the deposits of fine volcanic ash that transformed a barren sea of pāhoehoe into an area capable of sustaining agriculture.
Many such explosions resulted from the interaction of magma with groundwater or surface water; others apparently were powered by pressurized gas possibly aided by steam but with no direct involvement of magma.
While Kīlauea volcano in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park is not erupting, more signs of increased unrest are occurring as earthquakes spike in the upper East Rift Zone near Puhimau Crater. As a precaution, the park has closed Chain of Craters Road at the intersection near Devastation parking lot and nearby areas.