05-15-2015, 10:33 AM
Looks like the HVO scientists are getting even more excited about Kilauea right now, even more than when Halema'uma'u Crater was overflowing all month.
The lava has now dropped 165' with an increase in seismic activity. Look at this unusual Kilauea Status Report today... http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/activity/kilaueastatus.php
HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY INFORMATION STATEMENT
U.S. Geological Survey
Friday, May 15, 2015 1:43 PM HST (Friday, May 15, 2015 23:43 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
KILAUEA INFORMATION STATEMENT
Activity at the summit of Kilauea Volcano continues to change, as shown by a pronounced drop in the level of the lava lake within Halema'uma'u Crater, a change in the summit area deformation pattern, and the concentrated earthquake activity in the southern part of the caldera and upper Southwest Rift Zone. This statement reviews recent observations and briefly summarizes what might be expected next at Kilauea.
DROP IN LAVA LAKE LEVEL WITHIN HALEMAUMAU CRATER AND SUMMIT ACTIVITY CHANGES
The lava lake in the Overlook crater (summit vent) overflowed its rim beginning April 28, sending many short flows across the floor of Halemaumau Crater. By May 8, these overflows and spatter from the rising lava lake had built a ridge (or levee) of solidified lava around the vent rim to a height of about 8 m (26 ft) above the floor of Halemaumau Crater, creating a “perched lava lake.” On May 9, the lava lake level began to drop, and, as of this morning (May 15), the lake surface was about 50 m (165 ft) lower than the newly created vent rim.
The abrupt lowering of the lava lake level was accompanied by changes in summit deformation and seismicity. As the lava lake dropped, the inflationary trend previously observed in the summit area changed to a deflationary trend centered near Halema‘uma‘u Crater. On May 13, the focus of deformation changed to the southern part of Killauea’s summit caldera and upper Southwest Rift Zone, where rapid and localized inflationary tilt was recorded.
This change in deformation was accompanied by a shift in the focus of earthquake activity from Kilauea’s summit, upper East Rift Zone (ERZ), and upper Southwest Rift Zone (SWRZ) to the southern part of Kilauea’s caldera and Upper SWRZ. Of the many hundreds of earthquakes that have occurred in the SWRZ over the past 2 days, most have been small (less than magnitude-2) and shallow (less than 4 km [2.5 mi] deep). As of noon on May 15, earthquakes over the past 12 hours were occurring every couple of minutes, the highest rate recorded thus far, including this morning’s magnitude-3.2 quake at 08:37 a.m., HST, and magnitude-3.0 quake at 10:52 a.m., HST.
During this period of elevated summit activity, there has been no obvious change in the eruption rate of lava from the Pu'u O'o vent on Kilauea’s East Rift Zone. Few earthquakes have occurred in the upper ERZ over the past few days.
WHAT WE CAN EXPECT
These recent changes at the summit of Kilauea suggest that magma has moved into a shallow area beneath the southern part of the caldera and upper Southwest Rift Zone.
It is not possible to predict the exact outcome of this activity, but we identify three possible scenarios that could play out in the coming days to weeks:
1. Magma continues to accumulate in the southern part of Kilauea’s summit caldera and upper SWRZ at shallow depths, but then stops with no eruption.
2. Magma continues to accumulate in the southern part of the caldera at shallow depths and leads to a rapid intrusion into the Southwest Rift Zone. Such an intrusion could remain within the rift zone or erupt along the rift zone. A rift zone intrusion would be indicated by a swarm of shallow earthquakes, seismic tremor, and large, rapid changes in the deformation of the ground surface.
3. Magma continues to accumulate in the southern part of the caldera, rises toward the surface, and erupts in the upper SWRZ and/or in the caldera. With this scenario, we would expect to see even stronger earthquake activity and/or seismic tremor in the southern part of the caldera, as well as ground cracks.
However, the overall evolution of unrest in Kilauea’s summit area and upper rift zones in the coming weeks to months is uncertain. The magma storage system within Kilauea is highly pressurized at this time, and future changes in the location of unrest—and the potential for eruption—could unfold quickly (in days to hours).
WHAT WE ARE DOING
HVO continues to closely monitor Kilauea Volcano, watching for any signs of unrest that may precede a new outbreak of lava or changes in activity at Pu'u O'omor the summit. HVO is in frequent communication with Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park and Hawai‘i County Civil Defense to keep them apprised of the activity.
HVO will continue to post daily eruption updates on our web site, along with photos, videos, and maps as they are available at: http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/activity/kilaueastatus.php.
The lava has now dropped 165' with an increase in seismic activity. Look at this unusual Kilauea Status Report today... http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/activity/kilaueastatus.php
HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY INFORMATION STATEMENT
U.S. Geological Survey
Friday, May 15, 2015 1:43 PM HST (Friday, May 15, 2015 23:43 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
KILAUEA INFORMATION STATEMENT
Activity at the summit of Kilauea Volcano continues to change, as shown by a pronounced drop in the level of the lava lake within Halema'uma'u Crater, a change in the summit area deformation pattern, and the concentrated earthquake activity in the southern part of the caldera and upper Southwest Rift Zone. This statement reviews recent observations and briefly summarizes what might be expected next at Kilauea.
DROP IN LAVA LAKE LEVEL WITHIN HALEMAUMAU CRATER AND SUMMIT ACTIVITY CHANGES
The lava lake in the Overlook crater (summit vent) overflowed its rim beginning April 28, sending many short flows across the floor of Halemaumau Crater. By May 8, these overflows and spatter from the rising lava lake had built a ridge (or levee) of solidified lava around the vent rim to a height of about 8 m (26 ft) above the floor of Halemaumau Crater, creating a “perched lava lake.” On May 9, the lava lake level began to drop, and, as of this morning (May 15), the lake surface was about 50 m (165 ft) lower than the newly created vent rim.
The abrupt lowering of the lava lake level was accompanied by changes in summit deformation and seismicity. As the lava lake dropped, the inflationary trend previously observed in the summit area changed to a deflationary trend centered near Halema‘uma‘u Crater. On May 13, the focus of deformation changed to the southern part of Killauea’s summit caldera and upper Southwest Rift Zone, where rapid and localized inflationary tilt was recorded.
This change in deformation was accompanied by a shift in the focus of earthquake activity from Kilauea’s summit, upper East Rift Zone (ERZ), and upper Southwest Rift Zone (SWRZ) to the southern part of Kilauea’s caldera and Upper SWRZ. Of the many hundreds of earthquakes that have occurred in the SWRZ over the past 2 days, most have been small (less than magnitude-2) and shallow (less than 4 km [2.5 mi] deep). As of noon on May 15, earthquakes over the past 12 hours were occurring every couple of minutes, the highest rate recorded thus far, including this morning’s magnitude-3.2 quake at 08:37 a.m., HST, and magnitude-3.0 quake at 10:52 a.m., HST.
During this period of elevated summit activity, there has been no obvious change in the eruption rate of lava from the Pu'u O'o vent on Kilauea’s East Rift Zone. Few earthquakes have occurred in the upper ERZ over the past few days.
WHAT WE CAN EXPECT
These recent changes at the summit of Kilauea suggest that magma has moved into a shallow area beneath the southern part of the caldera and upper Southwest Rift Zone.
It is not possible to predict the exact outcome of this activity, but we identify three possible scenarios that could play out in the coming days to weeks:
1. Magma continues to accumulate in the southern part of Kilauea’s summit caldera and upper SWRZ at shallow depths, but then stops with no eruption.
2. Magma continues to accumulate in the southern part of the caldera at shallow depths and leads to a rapid intrusion into the Southwest Rift Zone. Such an intrusion could remain within the rift zone or erupt along the rift zone. A rift zone intrusion would be indicated by a swarm of shallow earthquakes, seismic tremor, and large, rapid changes in the deformation of the ground surface.
3. Magma continues to accumulate in the southern part of the caldera, rises toward the surface, and erupts in the upper SWRZ and/or in the caldera. With this scenario, we would expect to see even stronger earthquake activity and/or seismic tremor in the southern part of the caldera, as well as ground cracks.
However, the overall evolution of unrest in Kilauea’s summit area and upper rift zones in the coming weeks to months is uncertain. The magma storage system within Kilauea is highly pressurized at this time, and future changes in the location of unrest—and the potential for eruption—could unfold quickly (in days to hours).
WHAT WE ARE DOING
HVO continues to closely monitor Kilauea Volcano, watching for any signs of unrest that may precede a new outbreak of lava or changes in activity at Pu'u O'omor the summit. HVO is in frequent communication with Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park and Hawai‘i County Civil Defense to keep them apprised of the activity.
HVO will continue to post daily eruption updates on our web site, along with photos, videos, and maps as they are available at: http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/activity/kilaueastatus.php.
