USGS Volcano Hazards Program Volcano Update
HVO update page and observatory web site
Activity Summary: Inflation and high lava lake levels continued at the summit and at Pu`u `O`o with slow increasing seismic activity in the upper east rift zone. Lava flows southeast of Pu`u `O`o continued to be weakly active on the coastal plain. Seismic tremor levels were low, and gas emissions were elevated.
Recent Observations at Kilauea summit: The lava level remained high and continued to rise; the most recent lava level measurement was made yesterday at the top of a rise/fall event and the lava lake surface was about 27 m (89 ft) below the floor of Halema`uma`u Crater. Another sliver of the vent crater rim fell into the lake just after 6:30 pm yesterday evening, triggering a small composite seismic event and a burst of spatter that deposited a small amount of ejecta on the floor of Halema`uma`u Crater. The most recent (preliminary) sulfur dioxide emission rate measurement was 700 tonnes/day on October 22, 2012; measurements will resume with the return of moderate trade winds. A small amount of ash-sized tephra (mostly fresh spatter bits and Pele's hair, but also bits of the vent wall) was carried out of the vent in the gas plume and deposited on nearby surfaces. Cracking noises, sometimes audible from the Jaggar overlook and caused by rocks of the vent wall fracturing from the heat, emanate sporadically from the vent.
Summit inflation, as measured by a network of tiltmeters around the caldera, slowed yesterday morning but temporarily increased between 5 and 6:30 am this morning before resuming a flat, no-tilt signal. The GPS network recorded an increase in the rate of extension across the summit caldera since the beginning of October. Seismic tremor levels remained generally low. Twenty seven earthquakes were strong enough to be located beneath Kilauea: 1 near the Ka`oiki Pali, 7 within the summit caldera, 17 within the upper east rift zone (clustered beneath Koko`olau Crater), and 2 on south flank faults.
Background: The summit lava lake is deep within an ~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 40 m to more than 200 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 surface level of the lava lake has remained below an inner ledge (~50 m or 165 ft below the floor of Halema`uma`u Crater on October 9, 2012), sometimes rising to flood the ledge. The lake level responds to summit tilt changes with the lake receding during deflation and rising during inflation.
Recent Observations at the middle east rift zone vents: Surface flows continued to be active within the abandoned Royal Gardens subdivision, with flows extending seaward across the coastal plain. These flows have not advanced much over the past week, and are about 1.4 km (0.9 miles) from the coast based on position estimates from webcams. Minor flow activity also continued on the pali.
At Pu`u `O`o, activity remained elevated. The perched lava lake within the northeastern pit remained active and spattering was recorded from sources at the south and north edges of the crater floor.
The tiltmeter on the north flank of Pu`u `O`o cone recorded continued inflation over the past day. GPS receivers spanning the Pu`u `O`o crater have measured a small amount of extension since the beginning of October. Seismic tremor levels near Pu`u `O`o were low. The most recent (preliminary) sulfur dioxide emission rate measurement was 200 tonnes/day on October 22, 2012, from all east rift zone sources.
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 the abandoned Royal Gardens subdivision 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.
Recent Observations at Kilauea summit: The lava level remained high and continued to rise; the most recent lava level measurement was made yesterday at the top of a rise/fall event and the lava lake surface was about 27 m (89 ft) below the floor of Halema`uma`u Crater. Another sliver of the vent crater rim fell into the lake just after 6:30 pm yesterday evening, triggering a small composite seismic event and a burst of spatter that deposited a small amount of ejecta on the floor of Halema`uma`u Crater. The most recent (preliminary) sulfur dioxide emission rate measurement was 700 tonnes/day on October 22, 2012; measurements will resume with the return of moderate trade winds. A small amount of ash-sized tephra (mostly fresh spatter bits and Pele's hair, but also bits of the vent wall) was carried out of the vent in the gas plume and deposited on nearby surfaces. Cracking noises, sometimes audible from the Jaggar overlook and caused by rocks of the vent wall fracturing from the heat, emanate sporadically from the vent.
Summit inflation, as measured by a network of tiltmeters around the caldera, slowed yesterday morning but temporarily increased between 5 and 6:30 am this morning before resuming a flat, no-tilt signal. The GPS network recorded an increase in the rate of extension across the summit caldera since the beginning of October. Seismic tremor levels remained generally low. Twenty seven earthquakes were strong enough to be located beneath Kilauea: 1 near the Ka`oiki Pali, 7 within the summit caldera, 17 within the upper east rift zone (clustered beneath Koko`olau Crater), and 2 on south flank faults.
Background: The summit lava lake is deep within an ~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 40 m to more than 200 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 surface level of the lava lake has remained below an inner ledge (~50 m or 165 ft below the floor of Halema`uma`u Crater on October 9, 2012), sometimes rising to flood the ledge. The lake level responds to summit tilt changes with the lake receding during deflation and rising during inflation.
Recent Observations at the middle east rift zone vents: Surface flows continued to be active within the abandoned Royal Gardens subdivision, with flows extending seaward across the coastal plain. These flows have not advanced much over the past week, and are about 1.4 km (0.9 miles) from the coast based on position estimates from webcams. Minor flow activity also continued on the pali.
At Pu`u `O`o, activity remained elevated. The perched lava lake within the northeastern pit remained active and spattering was recorded from sources at the south and north edges of the crater floor.
The tiltmeter on the north flank of Pu`u `O`o cone recorded continued inflation over the past day. GPS receivers spanning the Pu`u `O`o crater have measured a small amount of extension since the beginning of October. Seismic tremor levels near Pu`u `O`o were low. The most recent (preliminary) sulfur dioxide emission rate measurement was 200 tonnes/day on October 22, 2012, from all east rift zone sources.
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 the abandoned Royal Gardens subdivision 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
