This Hawaii volcano could erupt because of an earthquake swarm, officials warn

There’s a swarm of earthquakes at the Kilauea volcano in Hawaii, scientists recently told The Associated Press.

• The volcano — despite the swarm of earthquakes — has not erupted yet.
• The quakes began shaking the area overnight and continued into Wednesday morning.

What is an earthquake swarm?

It’s simple — it’s a bunch of earthquakes all in one area and all at once, but they aren’t always linked to the main earthquake.

• According to the U.S. Geological Survey, an earthquake swarm is “a sequence of mostly small earthquakes with no identifiable mainshock.”

How many earthquakes hit Hawaii?

Per The Associated Press, there were 140 earthquakes in the area of the Kilauea volcano by 4:30 a.m. local time Wednesday morning.

• The largest earthquake had a 3.3 magnitude.
• There were other earthquakes with less than 1 magnitude, per The Associated Press.

Will Hawaii volcanoes erupt?

It’s unclear. Per ABC News, the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory has changed its volcano alert level from watch to advisory, which means “Kilauea is showing heightened or escalating unrest with more potential for an eruption.”