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 floor of a pit 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 entering the ocean at three broad locations west of Kalapana.
Past 24 hours at Kilauea summit: Overnight, the lava pond, visible in a hole in the floor of a pit in the Halema`uma`u Crater floor, continued to circulate, bubble, and spatter; the pond level rose a little around 6:30 am this morning before views were washed out by the dawn. Glow is visible from the Jaggar Museum Overlook overnight. This morning, a wispy, off-white plume moves to the southwest. The most recent sulfur dioxide emission rate measurement was 800 tonnes/day on November 24, still elevated above the 2003-2007 average of 140 tonnes/day. Small amounts of mostly ash-sized tephra continued to drop out of the plume near the vent; the daily collections have been larger over the past two days than in the last few months suggesting an increase in the number of rockfall events.
The summit tiltmeter network recorded slow inflation. 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 back to recording contraction.
Seismic tremor levels remained at low and steady values. The number of RB2S2BL earthquakes remained below background levels. Five earthquakes were strong enough to be located - two deep beneath the area immediately to the west of the lower southwest rift zone and three on south flank faults, including two magnitude-2+ quakes yesterday afternoon.
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 24, below the 2003-2007 average of 1,700 tonnes/day.
The tiltmeter on the north flank of Pu`u `O`o recorded weak inflation until about 10 pm. 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 with a small step increase at 6:15 am this morning.
Lava flows through two tube branches to the coast, across State- and privately-owned land, and was entering the ocean at three general locations at Waikupanaha, west Waikupanaha 700 m (2,300 ft) to the west, and areas in-between. Last night, CD officials reported a monstrous plume coming from Waikupanaha with two other entry plumes visible but not notable; no surface flows were visible on the pali or the coastal plain. GOES-WEST imagery showed weak thermal anomalies on the coastal plain suggesting diminished surface flow activity through dawn.
Past 24 hours at Kilauea summit: Overnight, the lava pond, visible in a hole in the floor of a pit in the Halema`uma`u Crater floor, continued to circulate, bubble, and spatter; the pond level rose a little around 6:30 am this morning before views were washed out by the dawn. Glow is visible from the Jaggar Museum Overlook overnight. This morning, a wispy, off-white plume moves to the southwest. The most recent sulfur dioxide emission rate measurement was 800 tonnes/day on November 24, still elevated above the 2003-2007 average of 140 tonnes/day. Small amounts of mostly ash-sized tephra continued to drop out of the plume near the vent; the daily collections have been larger over the past two days than in the last few months suggesting an increase in the number of rockfall events.
The summit tiltmeter network recorded slow inflation. 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 back to recording contraction.
Seismic tremor levels remained at low and steady values. The number of RB2S2BL earthquakes remained below background levels. Five earthquakes were strong enough to be located - two deep beneath the area immediately to the west of the lower southwest rift zone and three on south flank faults, including two magnitude-2+ quakes yesterday afternoon.
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 24, below the 2003-2007 average of 1,700 tonnes/day.
The tiltmeter on the north flank of Pu`u `O`o recorded weak inflation until about 10 pm. 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 with a small step increase at 6:15 am this morning.
Lava flows through two tube branches to the coast, across State- and privately-owned land, and was entering the ocean at three general locations at Waikupanaha, west Waikupanaha 700 m (2,300 ft) to the west, and areas in-between. Last night, CD officials reported a monstrous plume coming from Waikupanaha with two other entry plumes visible but not notable; no surface flows were visible on the pali or the coastal plain. GOES-WEST imagery showed weak thermal anomalies on the coastal plain suggesting diminished surface flow activity through dawn.
Update in Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) format
