USGS Volcano Hazards Program Volcano Update
HVO update page and observatory web site
Activity Summary for past 24 hours: At the summit, a circulating, bubbling, spattering, rising, and falling lava pond surface was visible in a hole in the vent cavity floor deep beneath Halema`uma`u Crater floor. Sulfur dioxide emission rates from the Halema`uma`u and east rift zone vents remain elevated. Lava flows are active on the coastal plain; lava flows through tubes to the coast and is likely entering the ocean at two locations west of Kalapana.
Past 24 hours at Kilauea summit: At 9:21 am yesterday morning, a sliver of the Halema`uma`u vent rim (in the Halema`uma`u Crater floor) collapsed resulting in a dense brown dust cloud that dissipated after a few minutes; video of the event appeared to show ejection of dark material but none was found during a later search. By nightfall, the lava pond did not seem significantly different and continued bubbling, circulating, and spattering low within a hole in the vent cavity floor deep beneath the vent rim (in the Halema`uma`u Crater floor); the lava level rose, partially covering the vent cavity floor before draining, at least four times overnight. Glow is visible from the Jaggar Museum Overlook. This morning, the dense white plume moves to the southwest. The most recent sulfur dioxide emission rate measurement was 800 tonnes/day on November 20, still elevated above the 2003-2007 average of 140 tonnes/day. Very small amounts of mostly ash-sized tephra continued to drop out of the plume near the vent.
The summit tiltmeter network recorded no significant ground tilting. The GPS network, which is less sensitive than the tiltmeter network, recorded contraction, starting at the beginning of November, extension after November 12th, and is now again recording contraction.
Seismic tremor levels remained at low values with a brief decrease during each rise in lava level deep in the Halema`uma`u Overlook vent cavity. The number of RB2S2BL earthquakes is increasing slowly but remained below background levels. Nine earthquakes were strong enough to be located - three beneath the summit caldera including a moderate hybrid earthquake accompanying the dust plume yesterday morning, three beneath an area west of the summit, two beneath an area south of the upper east rift zone between Napau Crater and Kupaianaha, and one on south flank faults.
Past 24 hours at the middle east rift zone vents and flow field: Magma continued to degas through Pu`u `O`o crater before erupting from the TEB vent, located 2 km to the east. The most recent sulfur dioxide emission rate measurement was 1,300 tonnes/day on November 21, below the 2003-2007 average of 1,700 tonnes/day. Very weak glow was again recorded from the crater last night.
The tiltmeter on the north flank of Pu`u `O`o recorded no significant ground tilting. The GPS network, which is less sensitive than the tiltmeter network, recorded continued slow contraction of the cone, amounting to almost 3 cm of contraction over the past 3 months. Seismic tremor levels at Pu`u `O`o and the TEB vent were at low values.
Lava flows through two tube branches to the coast, across State- and privately-owned land, and was entering the ocean at two general locations - Waikupanaha and west Waikupanaha 700 m (2,300 ft) to the west. The TEB webcam captured intermittent glow from the TEB vent last night. GOES-WEST imagery showed thermal anomalies on the coastal plain suggesting continuing surface flow activity through dawn.
Past 24 hours at Kilauea summit: At 9:21 am yesterday morning, a sliver of the Halema`uma`u vent rim (in the Halema`uma`u Crater floor) collapsed resulting in a dense brown dust cloud that dissipated after a few minutes; video of the event appeared to show ejection of dark material but none was found during a later search. By nightfall, the lava pond did not seem significantly different and continued bubbling, circulating, and spattering low within a hole in the vent cavity floor deep beneath the vent rim (in the Halema`uma`u Crater floor); the lava level rose, partially covering the vent cavity floor before draining, at least four times overnight. Glow is visible from the Jaggar Museum Overlook. This morning, the dense white plume moves to the southwest. The most recent sulfur dioxide emission rate measurement was 800 tonnes/day on November 20, still elevated above the 2003-2007 average of 140 tonnes/day. Very small amounts of mostly ash-sized tephra continued to drop out of the plume near the vent.
The summit tiltmeter network recorded no significant ground tilting. The GPS network, which is less sensitive than the tiltmeter network, recorded contraction, starting at the beginning of November, extension after November 12th, and is now again recording contraction.
Seismic tremor levels remained at low values with a brief decrease during each rise in lava level deep in the Halema`uma`u Overlook vent cavity. The number of RB2S2BL earthquakes is increasing slowly but remained below background levels. Nine earthquakes were strong enough to be located - three beneath the summit caldera including a moderate hybrid earthquake accompanying the dust plume yesterday morning, three beneath an area west of the summit, two beneath an area south of the upper east rift zone between Napau Crater and Kupaianaha, and one on south flank faults.
Past 24 hours at the middle east rift zone vents and flow field: Magma continued to degas through Pu`u `O`o crater before erupting from the TEB vent, located 2 km to the east. The most recent sulfur dioxide emission rate measurement was 1,300 tonnes/day on November 21, below the 2003-2007 average of 1,700 tonnes/day. Very weak glow was again recorded from the crater last night.
The tiltmeter on the north flank of Pu`u `O`o recorded no significant ground tilting. The GPS network, which is less sensitive than the tiltmeter network, recorded continued slow contraction of the cone, amounting to almost 3 cm of contraction over the past 3 months. Seismic tremor levels at Pu`u `O`o and the TEB vent were at low values.
Lava flows through two tube branches to the coast, across State- and privately-owned land, and was entering the ocean at two general locations - Waikupanaha and west Waikupanaha 700 m (2,300 ft) to the west. The TEB webcam captured intermittent glow from the TEB vent last night. GOES-WEST imagery showed thermal anomalies on the coastal plain suggesting continuing surface flow activity through dawn.
Update in Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) format
