USGS Volcano Hazards Program Volcano Update
HVO update page and observatory web site
Activity Summary for past 24 hours: Back-to-back DI tilt events while lava lakes are active at the summit and at Pu`u `O`o; lava flows are active to the southeast of Pu`u `O`o. Seismic tremor levels were slightly elevated at the summit and were low elsewhere. Gas emissions were elevated.
Past 24 hours at Kilauea summit: The summit tiltmeters recorded the start of another weak DI event with deflation starting about 9 am. The lava lake dropped slowly, as expected, but was then buoyed up by a three rise/fall events between 6 pm yesterday and 5 am this morning. The most recent (preliminary) sulfur dioxide emission rate measurement was 700 tonnes/day on September 7, 2012; this high value was within the typical range of baseline measurements made between rise/fall events. Very small amounts of ash-sized tephra (spatter bits and Pele's hair) were carried out of the vent in the gas plume and deposited on nearby surfaces.
Seismic tremor levels remained slightly elevated. Seventeen earthquakes were strong enough to be located beneath Kilauea: 5 within and beneath the lower southwest rift zone, 2 west of the summit, 1 north of the summit, 1 beneath Halema`uma`u Crater, 1 within the upper east rift zone, 2 within the middle east rift zine (near Heiheiahulu), and 5 on south flank faults.
Background: The summit lava lake is deep within a ~160 m (520 ft) diameter cylindrical vent with nearly vertical sides inset within the east wall and floor of Halema`uma`u Crater. Its level fluctuates from about 60 m to more than 150 m (out of sight) below the floor of Halema`uma`u Crater. The vent has been mostly active since opening with a small explosive event on March 19, 2008. Most recently, the lava level of the lake has remained below an inner ledge (60 m or 200 ft below the floor of Halema`uma`u Crater on May 9, 2012) and responded to summit tilt changes with the lake receding during deflation and rising during inflation.
Past 24 hours at the middle east rift zone vents: Two MODIS satellite images overnight showed thermal anomalies about halfway between Pu`u `O`o and the coast but HVO's Webcams recorded only glow in clouds from breakouts above the pali. For the past few nights, but not last night (yet), the County Viewing Area crew reported visible lava last night from their location in Kalapana.
The tiltmeter on the north flank of Pu`u `O`o cone continued to record weak inflation, probably helped along by the rain yesterday. Seismic tremor levels near Pu`u `O`o remained low. The most recent (preliminary) sulfur dioxide emission rate measurement was 230 tonnes/day on September 04, 2012, from all east rift zone sources.
At Pu`u `O`o Crater, lava remained high enough to be visible in the east pit with some glow visible from the west side of the south pit (PTcam); glow was again seen from spots on the west edge of the crusted north pit (POcam). The glowing spot at the base of the southeast flank of Pu`u `O`o, marking a collapse in the roof of the lava tube feeding lava flows downslope, continued to glow brightly overnight (PEcam).
Background: The eruption in Kilauea's middle east rift zone started with a fissure eruption on January 3, 1983, and continued with few interruptions at Pu`u `O`o Cone, or temporarily from vents within a few kilometers to the east or west,. A fissure eruption on the upper east flank of Pu`u `O`o Cone on Sept. 21, 2011, drained the lava lakes and fed a lava flow that advanced southeast through the abandoned Royal Gardens subdivision to the ocean within Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park in early December. Since late December, the flows have remained intermittently active on the pali and the coastal plain but have not entered the ocean. In general, activity waxes with inflation and wanes with deflation.
Hazard Summary: East rift vents and flow field - near-vent areas could erupt or collapse without warning with spatter and/or ash being wafted within the gas plume; potentially-lethal concentrations of sulfur dioxide gas may be present within 1 km downwind of vent areas. All recently active lava flows are within Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park, adjacent State land managed by the Department of Land and Natural Resources, and private property within the Royal Gardens subdivision; the lava flows do not pose a hazard to any structures not already within the County-declared mandatory evacuation zone. Kilauea Crater - ash and Pele's hair can be carried several kilometers downwind; potentially-lethal concentrations of sulfur dioxide can be present within 1 km downwind.
Viewing Summary: East rift zone flow field - The new breakout lava flows were within the closed-access Kahauale'a Natural Area Reserve (NAR) and can only be viewed from the air. Under favorable weather conditions, glow from these flows may be reflected in clouds which can be seen from the County Viewing Area at Kalapana (Lava hotline 961-8093). Pu`u `O`o Cone, the strip of coastal plain nearest the ocean, and Kilauea Crater - these areas are within Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park; Park access and viewing information can be found at http://www.nps.gov/havo/planyourvisit/lava2.htm.
Past 24 hours at Kilauea summit: The summit tiltmeters recorded the start of another weak DI event with deflation starting about 9 am. The lava lake dropped slowly, as expected, but was then buoyed up by a three rise/fall events between 6 pm yesterday and 5 am this morning. The most recent (preliminary) sulfur dioxide emission rate measurement was 700 tonnes/day on September 7, 2012; this high value was within the typical range of baseline measurements made between rise/fall events. Very small amounts of ash-sized tephra (spatter bits and Pele's hair) were carried out of the vent in the gas plume and deposited on nearby surfaces.
Seismic tremor levels remained slightly elevated. Seventeen earthquakes were strong enough to be located beneath Kilauea: 5 within and beneath the lower southwest rift zone, 2 west of the summit, 1 north of the summit, 1 beneath Halema`uma`u Crater, 1 within the upper east rift zone, 2 within the middle east rift zine (near Heiheiahulu), and 5 on south flank faults.
Background: The summit lava lake is deep within a ~160 m (520 ft) diameter cylindrical vent with nearly vertical sides inset within the east wall and floor of Halema`uma`u Crater. Its level fluctuates from about 60 m to more than 150 m (out of sight) below the floor of Halema`uma`u Crater. The vent has been mostly active since opening with a small explosive event on March 19, 2008. Most recently, the lava level of the lake has remained below an inner ledge (60 m or 200 ft below the floor of Halema`uma`u Crater on May 9, 2012) and responded to summit tilt changes with the lake receding during deflation and rising during inflation.
Past 24 hours at the middle east rift zone vents: Two MODIS satellite images overnight showed thermal anomalies about halfway between Pu`u `O`o and the coast but HVO's Webcams recorded only glow in clouds from breakouts above the pali. For the past few nights, but not last night (yet), the County Viewing Area crew reported visible lava last night from their location in Kalapana.
The tiltmeter on the north flank of Pu`u `O`o cone continued to record weak inflation, probably helped along by the rain yesterday. Seismic tremor levels near Pu`u `O`o remained low. The most recent (preliminary) sulfur dioxide emission rate measurement was 230 tonnes/day on September 04, 2012, from all east rift zone sources.
At Pu`u `O`o Crater, lava remained high enough to be visible in the east pit with some glow visible from the west side of the south pit (PTcam); glow was again seen from spots on the west edge of the crusted north pit (POcam). The glowing spot at the base of the southeast flank of Pu`u `O`o, marking a collapse in the roof of the lava tube feeding lava flows downslope, continued to glow brightly overnight (PEcam).
Background: The eruption in Kilauea's middle east rift zone started with a fissure eruption on January 3, 1983, and continued with few interruptions at Pu`u `O`o Cone, or temporarily from vents within a few kilometers to the east or west,. A fissure eruption on the upper east flank of Pu`u `O`o Cone on Sept. 21, 2011, drained the lava lakes and fed a lava flow that advanced southeast through the abandoned Royal Gardens subdivision to the ocean within Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park in early December. Since late December, the flows have remained intermittently active on the pali and the coastal plain but have not entered the ocean. In general, activity waxes with inflation and wanes with deflation.
Hazard Summary: East rift vents and flow field - near-vent areas could erupt or collapse without warning with spatter and/or ash being wafted within the gas plume; potentially-lethal concentrations of sulfur dioxide gas may be present within 1 km downwind of vent areas. All recently active lava flows are within Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park, adjacent State land managed by the Department of Land and Natural Resources, and private property within the Royal Gardens subdivision; the lava flows do not pose a hazard to any structures not already within the County-declared mandatory evacuation zone. Kilauea Crater - ash and Pele's hair can be carried several kilometers downwind; potentially-lethal concentrations of sulfur dioxide can be present within 1 km downwind.
Viewing Summary: East rift zone flow field - The new breakout lava flows were within the closed-access Kahauale'a Natural Area Reserve (NAR) and can only be viewed from the air. Under favorable weather conditions, glow from these flows may be reflected in clouds which can be seen from the County Viewing Area at Kalapana (Lava hotline 961-8093). Pu`u `O`o Cone, the strip of coastal plain nearest the ocean, and Kilauea Crater - these areas are within Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park; Park access and viewing information can be found at http://www.nps.gov/havo/planyourvisit/lava2.htm.
Update in Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) format
