01-16-2010, 08:21 AM
Sure. The constant settling of this island, and all volcanic islands, generate earthquakes.
But odds are more in favor of liquid earth creating them beneath the Kilauea Caldera. No one really knows the actual size & depth of our local magma chambers, but an earthquake nine miles down is not far when magma reservoirs and their conduits run deep into the earths crust. Most earthquakes under Kilauea volcano are associated with magma movement within the vast reservoirs themselves: from deeper supply conduits, collapse of magma chambers (creating caldera’s), or from movement of magma through the rift zone branching out from them. Magma forces deep earth cracks to push apart and or fracture more brittle surrounding rock at any depth below, alongside or above the pressurized magma. When the chambers and their associated conduits become more pressurized, as they have been for the last few days under Kilauea, then this will often generate both shallow and deeper tremblers.
You seem very interested in volcanic geology, you might like this simplified explanation the USGS offers: http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/hazards/earthquakes.html
And also this page explaining the basics of how the tiltmeters are recording magma movement: http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/howwork/subsidenc...flate.html
~~ Leigh
But odds are more in favor of liquid earth creating them beneath the Kilauea Caldera. No one really knows the actual size & depth of our local magma chambers, but an earthquake nine miles down is not far when magma reservoirs and their conduits run deep into the earths crust. Most earthquakes under Kilauea volcano are associated with magma movement within the vast reservoirs themselves: from deeper supply conduits, collapse of magma chambers (creating caldera’s), or from movement of magma through the rift zone branching out from them. Magma forces deep earth cracks to push apart and or fracture more brittle surrounding rock at any depth below, alongside or above the pressurized magma. When the chambers and their associated conduits become more pressurized, as they have been for the last few days under Kilauea, then this will often generate both shallow and deeper tremblers.
You seem very interested in volcanic geology, you might like this simplified explanation the USGS offers: http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/hazards/earthquakes.html
And also this page explaining the basics of how the tiltmeters are recording magma movement: http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/howwork/subsidenc...flate.html
~~ Leigh
quote:
Originally posted by dakine
quote:
Originally posted by PunaLeigh
@ Dakine:
A high or rising rate and volume of magma pressure being pushed up within the magma chambers, as we are seeing now, deforms the surrounding earth and literally bends & cracks it; creating numerous earthquakes....
wow! interesting indeed! but might there be another reason? considering that earthquake was almost nine miles below the surface could there possibly be a different set of forces involved?