USGS Volcano Notice - DOI-USGS-HVO-2022-02-08T08:46:17-08:00

HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY DAILY UPDATE
U.S. Geological Survey
Tuesday, February 8, 2022, 8:03 AM HST (Tuesday, February 8, 2022, 18:03 UTC)

KILAUEA VOLCANO (VNUM #332010)
19°25'16" N 155°17'13" W, Summit Elevation 4091 ft (1247 m)
Current Volcano Alert Level: WATCH
Current Aviation Color Code: ORANGE

Activity Summary: The summit eruption of Kīlauea Volcano, within Halemaʻumaʻu crater, has paused as of yesterday evening. All recent lava activity has been confined to the crater, and there are no indications of the eruption migrating elsewhere on Kīlauea.

Halemaʻumaʻu Lava Lake Observations: Effusion of lava from the western vent within Halemaʻumaʻu crater declined through the day yesterday in association with deflation of the summit region. The active lava lake in the western portion of the crater was fully crusted over by 8:00 p.m. HST, although there were several brief periods of crustal foundering and surface circulation overnight. Limited but more consistent circulation of active lava continues in the small lava pond just north of the western vent that has persisted through recent eruptive pauses. Multiple ooze-outs of lava have been weakly active along the northern, eastern, and southern margins of the crater at various times during the past 24 hours.

Before the onset of summit deflation yesterday morning, the surface of the active lava lake was 833 meters (2733 feet) above sea level, with a depth of approximately 92 meters (302 feet) relative to when lava emerged on September 29, 2021. Since yesterday morning, the active lake surface has dropped approximately 12 meters (39 feet) while stagnating and crusting over. Measurements on January 28 indicated that the total lava volume effused since the beginning of the eruption was approximately 45 million cubic meters (12.0 billion gallons) at that time.

Summit Observations: Summit tiltmeters began tracking sharp deflationary tilt around 6:30 a.m. HST yesterday. Deflation was interrupted by a brief period of relatively flat tilt between approximately 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. HST, after which there was a continuation of sharp deflationary tilt. The rate of deflation slowed through the afternoon and tilt was essentially flat by midnight, with no changes this morning. Seismic data shows that volcanic tremor remained at eruption levels until the second deflation onset around 11:00 a.m. HST, when tremor began dropping off substantially. Earthquake activity in the summit region remains below background level. A sulfur dioxide (SO₂) emission rate of approximately 475 tonnes per day (t/d) was measured on February 2, during the previous eruptive pause.

Rift Zone Observations: No unusual activity has been noted along the East Rift Zone or Southwest Rift Zone; low rates of ground deformation and seismicity continue along both. Measurements from continuous gas monitoring stations downwind of Puʻuʻōʻō in the middle East Rift Zone remain below detection limits for SO₂, indicating that SO₂ emissions from Puʻuʻōʻō are negligible.

Hazard Analysis: This eruption at Kīlauea's summit is occurring within a closed area of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. Therefore, high levels of volcanic gas are the primary hazard of concern, as this hazard can have far-reaching effects downwind. Large amounts of volcanic gas—primarily water vapor (H₂O), carbon dioxide (CO₂), and sulfur dioxide (SO₂)—are continuously released during eruptions of Kīlauea volcano. As SO₂ is released from the summit, it reacts in the atmosphere to create the visible haze known as vog (volcanic smog) that has been observed downwind of Kīlauea. Vog creates the potential for airborne health hazards to residents and visitors, damages agricultural crops and other plants, and affects livestock. For more information on gas hazards at the summit of Kīlauea, please see: https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/fs20173017. Vog information can be found at https://vog.ivhhn.org. 

Additional hazards include Pele's hair and other lightweight volcanic glass fragments from lava fountains that will fall downwind and dust the ground within a few hundred meters (yards) of the erupting fissure vent(s). Strong winds may waft lighter particles to greater distances. Residents should minimize exposure to these volcanic particles, which can cause skin and eye irritation. 

Other significant hazards also remain around Kīlauea caldera from Halemaʻumaʻu crater wall instability, ground cracking, and rockfalls that can be enhanced by earthquakes within the area closed to the public. This underscores the extremely hazardous nature of the rim surrounding Halemaʻumaʻu crater, an area that has been closed to the public since early 2008. 

For discussion of Kīlauea hazards, please see: https://www.usgs.gov/observatories/hawaiian-volcano-observatory/hazards.

Please see the Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park website for visitor information: https://www.nps.gov/havo/index.htm. Visitors to Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park should note that under southerly (non-trade) wind conditions, there is potential for a dusting of powdery to gritty ash composed of volcanic glass and rock fragments. These ashfalls represent a minor hazard, but visitors should be aware that such dustings at areas around the Kīlauea summit are possible. 

The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) continues to closely monitor Kīlauea volcano.

HVO will continue to issue daily Kīlauea volcano updates until further notice. Additional messages will be issued as needed.


More Information:
Kīlauea activity summary also available by phone: (808) 967-8862
Kīlauea webcam images: https://www.usgs.gov/volcanoes/kilauea/webcams
Kīlauea photos/video: https://www.usgs.gov/volcanoes/kilauea/photo-and-video-chronology
Kīlauea lava-flow maps: https://www.usgs.gov/volcanoes/kilauea/maps
Kīlauea FAQs: https://www.usgs.gov/volcanoes/kilauea/faqs

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Summary of volcanic hazards from eruptions: https://www.usgs.gov/observatories/hvo/hazards

Recent earthquakes in Hawaiʻi (map and list): https://www.usgs.gov/observatories/hvo

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CONTACT INFORMATION:

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The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory is one of five volcano observatories within the U.S. Geological Survey and is responsible for monitoring volcanoes and earthquakes in Hawaiʻi.