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SKAMANIA COUNTY, Wash. (KPTV) - Mount St. Helens continues to experience increased earthquake activity, according to a Friday update from the Cascades Volcano Observatory.

Mount St. Helens has experienced slightly heightened seismic activity this year, compared to recent years, with 22 earthquakes in the last week alone, according to the observatory.

There have been 423 recorded earthquakes under the volcano since Feb. 1.

The largest earthquake over the past week was a magnitude 1.1.

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Seth Moran from Cascades Volcano Observatory joined to talk about the uptick in seismic activity and what it means.

The largest earthquake recorded in the area since Feb. 1 was measured at magnitude 2.0.

The average depth for these earthquakes last week were 2.3 miles below the volcano’s crater. This is compared to an average depth of 3.8 miles since Feb. 1.

“Although this level of seismicity is elevated compared to the last several years at Mount St. Helens, it is still considered within the background range and does not suggest an imminent eruption,” the observatory wrote on Friday. “No changes have been detected in ground deformation, volcanic gas, or thermal emissions at the volcano. Small earthquakes consistent with background-level activity were also detected at Mount Baker, Mount Rainier, and Mount Hood.”

The U.S. Geological Survey Cascades Volcano Observatory and the University of Washington Pacific Northwest Seismic Network monitor Washington and Oregon volcanoes closely around the clock every day.