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USGS Volcano Notice - DOI-USGS-HVO-2023-01-06T10:09:57-08:00

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HVO/USGS Volcanic Activity Notice

Volcano: Kilauea (VNUM #332010)

Current Volcano Alert Level: WATCH
Previous Volcano Alert Level: WARNING

Current Aviation Color Code: ORANGE
Previous Aviation Color Code: RED


Issued: Friday, January 6, 2023, 8:15 AM HST
Source: Hawaiian Volcano Observatory
Notice Number: 2023/H16
Location: N 19 deg 25 min W 155 deg 17 min
Elevation: 4091 ft (1247 m)
Area: Hawaii

Volcanic Activity Summary:

Kīlauea’s summit eruption continues and is confined to Halemaʻumaʻu crater within Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park.  HVO does not see any indication of activity migrating elsewhere on Kīlauea volcano and expects the eruption to remain confined to the summit region. 

HVO is lowering Kīlauea’s volcano alert level from WARNING to WATCH because the initial high effusion rates are declining, and no infrastructure is threatened. HVO is lowering Kīlauea’s aviation color code from RED to ORANGE because there is currently no threat of significant volcanic ash emission into the atmosphere outside of the hazardous closed area within Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Hazards associated with the eruption are limited and are described below. 

HVO will continue to monitor this activity closely and report any significant changes in future notices. 

 

 

Recent Observations:
[Volcanic cloud height] N/A
[Other volcanic cloud information] N/A
[Ballistics] N/A
[Lava flow/dome] N/A
[Lava flow] N/A

Hazard Analysis:
[General hazards] N/A
[Ash cloud] N/A
[Ashfall] N/A
[Lava flow/dome] N/A
[Mud flow] NA
[Volcanic gas] N/A
[Other hazards] N/A
[Lava flow] N/A

Remarks:

Kīlauea volcano began erupting within Halema‘uma‘u crater at approximately 4:34 p.m. HST on January 5, 2023, following a couple weeks of intermittently elevated summit earthquake activity and gradual inflationary summit ground tilt. Earthquake activity increased dramatically at approximately 3 p.m. on January 5 with increased rates of inflationary ground deformation, prompting HVO to raise Kīlauea’s alert level and aviation color code to WATCH/ORANGE and then to WARNING/RED after the eruption began. 

As of 7:30 a.m. HST this morning, January 6, several very minor fountains remain active in the central eastern portion of Halema‘uma‘u crater floor. The high initial effusion rates are declining rapidly as lava stored within the magma system over the past month is erupted.  The fountains decreased in vigor overnight and are consistently about 5 meters (16 feet) high this morning. Lava flows have inundated much of the crater floor (which is nearly 300 acres or 120 hectares). The higher-elevation island that formed during the initial phase of the December 2020 eruption remains exposed, as well as a ring of older lava around the lava lake that was active prior to December 2022. This older lake has refilled from below with new lava. This morning, the depth of new lava remains at about 10 meters (32 feet) at the base of Halema‘uma‘u crater. 

Summit tilt switched from inflation to deflation around 5 p.m. HST yesterday, January 5, and that trend continues this morning. Following the eruption onset, summit earthquake activity greatly diminished and eruptive tremor (a signal associated with fluid movement) resumed. Volcanic gas emissions in the eruption area are elevated. 

Hazard Analysis: 

The eruption at Kīlauea’s summit is occurring within a closed area of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park. Therefore, high levels of volcanic gas are the primary hazard of concern, as this hazard can have far-reaching effects down-wind. 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 will react 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 the lava fountains that will fall downwind of the fissure vents and dust the ground within a few hundred meters (yards) of the 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 Kīlauea caldera rim surrounding Halemaʻumaʻu crater, an area that has been closed to the public since late 2007. 

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. 



Contacts:

askHVO@usgs.gov
 



Next Notice:

Kīlauea updates will be issued daily. Should volcanic activity change significantly a new VAN will be issued. Regularly scheduled updates are posted on the HVO website at https://www.usgs.gov/volcanoes/kilauea/volcano-updates  

More Information:



Subscribe to these messages: https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/vns2/
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
Explanation of Volcano Alert Levels and Aviation Color Codes: https://www.usgs.gov/programs/VHP/volcanic-alert-levels-characterize-conditions-us-volcanoes

(1) VOLCANO OBSERVATORY NOTICE FOR AVIATION (VONA)
(2) Issued: (20230106/1815Z)
(3) Volcano: Kilauea (VNUM #332010)
(4) Current Color Code: ORANGE
(5) Previous Color Code: RED
(6) Source: Hawaiian Volcano Observatory
(7) Notice Number: 2023/H16
(8) Volcano Location: N 19 deg 25 min W 155 deg 17 min
(9) Area: Hawaii
(10) Summit Elevation: 4091 ft (1247 m)
(11) Volcanic Activity Summary:

Kīlauea’s summit eruption continues and is confined to Halemaʻumaʻu crater within Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park.  HVO does not see any indication of activity migrating elsewhere on Kīlauea volcano and expects the eruption to remain confined to the summit region. 

HVO is lowering Kīlauea’s volcano alert level from WARNING to WATCH because the initial high effusion rates are declining, and no infrastructure is threatened. HVO is lowering Kīlauea’s aviation color code from RED to ORANGE because there is currently no threat of significant volcanic ash emission into the atmosphere outside of the hazardous closed area within Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Hazards associated with the eruption are limited and are described below. 

HVO will continue to monitor this activity closely and report any significant changes in future notices. 

 

 
(12) Volcanic cloud height: N/A
(13) Other volcanic cloud information: N/A
(14) Remarks:

Kīlauea volcano began erupting within Halema‘uma‘u crater at approximately 4:34 p.m. HST on January 5, 2023, following a couple weeks of intermittently elevated summit earthquake activity and gradual inflationary summit ground tilt. Earthquake activity increased dramatically at approximately 3 p.m. on January 5 with increased rates of inflationary ground deformation, prompting HVO to raise Kīlauea’s alert level and aviation color code to WATCH/ORANGE and then to WARNING/RED after the eruption began. 

As of 7:30 a.m. HST this morning, January 6, several very minor fountains remain active in the central eastern portion of Halema‘uma‘u crater floor. The high initial effusion rates are declining rapidly as lava stored within the magma system over the past month is erupted.  The fountains decreased in vigor overnight and are consistently about 5 meters (16 feet) high this morning. Lava flows have inundated much of the crater floor (which is nearly 300 acres or 120 hectares). The higher-elevation island that formed during the initial phase of the December 2020 eruption remains exposed, as well as a ring of older lava around the lava lake that was active prior to December 2022. This older lake has refilled from below with new lava. This morning, the depth of new lava remains at about 10 meters (32 feet) at the base of Halema‘uma‘u crater. 

Summit tilt switched from inflation to deflation around 5 p.m. HST yesterday, January 5, and that trend continues this morning. Following the eruption onset, summit earthquake activity greatly diminished and eruptive tremor (a signal associated with fluid movement) resumed. Volcanic gas emissions in the eruption area are elevated. 

Hazard Analysis: 

The eruption at Kīlauea’s summit is occurring within a closed area of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park. Therefore, high levels of volcanic gas are the primary hazard of concern, as this hazard can have far-reaching effects down-wind. 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 will react 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 the lava fountains that will fall downwind of the fissure vents and dust the ground within a few hundred meters (yards) of the 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 Kīlauea caldera rim surrounding Halemaʻumaʻu crater, an area that has been closed to the public since late 2007. 

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. 
(15) Contacts:

askHVO@usgs.gov
 
(16) Next Notice:

Kīlauea updates will be issued daily. Should volcanic activity change significantly a new VAN will be issued. Regularly scheduled updates are posted on the HVO website at https://www.usgs.gov/volcanoes/kilauea/volcano-updates  

More Information: