USGS Volcano Hazards Program Volcano Update
HVO update page and observatory web site
Activity Summary for past 24 hours: On this Thanksgiving morning, Kilauea is actively erupting from two vents. At the summit, a roiling and spattering lava pond surface was visible in a hole in the floor of a deep pit beneath Halema`uma`u Crater floor. Sulfur dioxide emission rates from the Halema`uma`u and east rift zone vents remain elevated. From the east rift zone vent, lava flows through tubes to the coast and is entering the ocean at several locations west of Kalapana; lava flows are active on the coastal plain.
The staff of the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory wishes you the happiest of Thanksgivings.
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 roil and spatter; the hole is a bit larger and the pond level was a bit higher than they were last night. 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. Very small amounts of mostly ash-sized tephra continued to be deposited beneath the plume near the vent.
The summit tiltmeter network recorded slow inflation. The GPS network, which is less sensitive than the tiltmeter network, recorded contraction.
Seismic tremor levels remained at low values that halved around 6 pm. The number of RB2S2BL earthquakes remained below background levels. Three earthquakes were strong enough to be located - one deep beneath the area immediately to the west of the lower southwest rift zone and two 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 24, below the 2003-2007 average of 1,700 tonnes/day.
The tiltmeter on the north flank of Pu`u `O`o recorded weak rain-induced tilt through yesterday afternoon. 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 Waikupanaha and, in minor amounts, at several locations to the west. Yesterday, HVO geologists mapped scattered active flows around the west tube on the coastal plain. GOES-WEST imagery showed a few weak thermal anomalies on the coastal plain when the views weren't blocked by a high-altitude cloud layer.
The staff of the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory wishes you the happiest of Thanksgivings.
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 roil and spatter; the hole is a bit larger and the pond level was a bit higher than they were last night. 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. Very small amounts of mostly ash-sized tephra continued to be deposited beneath the plume near the vent.
The summit tiltmeter network recorded slow inflation. The GPS network, which is less sensitive than the tiltmeter network, recorded contraction.
Seismic tremor levels remained at low values that halved around 6 pm. The number of RB2S2BL earthquakes remained below background levels. Three earthquakes were strong enough to be located - one deep beneath the area immediately to the west of the lower southwest rift zone and two 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 24, below the 2003-2007 average of 1,700 tonnes/day.
The tiltmeter on the north flank of Pu`u `O`o recorded weak rain-induced tilt through yesterday afternoon. 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 Waikupanaha and, in minor amounts, at several locations to the west. Yesterday, HVO geologists mapped scattered active flows around the west tube on the coastal plain. GOES-WEST imagery showed a few weak thermal anomalies on the coastal plain when the views weren't blocked by a high-altitude cloud layer.
Update in Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) format
