Thread Rating:
  • 0 Vote(s) - 0 Average
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Kilauea Seaward Creep “At Elevated Rates”
#1
USGS Explains Kilauea South Flank Seaward Creep “At Elevated Rates”

From...

https://www.bigislandvideonews.com/2019/...ted-rates/

Scientists say the south flank of Kilauea continues to creep seaward at elevated rates following the Magnitude 6.9 earthquake near Kalapana on May 4, 2018.

The weekly Kilauea activity summary provided by the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory reads similar to other recent updates. Monitors show steady rates of seismicity and ground deformation, low rates of sulfur dioxide emission, and only minor geologic changes since the end of eruptive activity in September 2018, the scientists say.

However, there is one new statement in the update. ” In addition to motion along the East Rift Zone, the south flank of Kilauea continues to creep seaward at elevated rates following the May 4, 2018 M6.9 earthquake near Kalapana.”

USGS HVO Scientist-In-Charge Tina Neal mentioned the seaward creep in an interview with Sherry Bracken last week, but this was the first time the statement appeared in the weekly update.

According to Asta Miklius, a geophysicist at the observatory who works with ground deformation, the south flank of Kilauea has indeed been moving faster since the eruptive events of late April last year.

Miklius said it is common to see elevated rates of motion on faults after a large earthquake, “however, post-seismic motions slow over time, and we have not yet observed the south flank motion slowing down.”

“The East Rift Zone underwent spectacular changes last year, collapsing in places and extending at enormous rates in others as magma moved down the rift,” Miklius wrote. “These changes must also have affected the motion of the south flank, and we will have to see how it evolves.”

Miklius said the observations are not a cause for alarm. “There is currently no indication of greater risk of imminent hazard associated with the faster south flank motion,” Miklius said.

The USGS HVO weekly update also repeated two other points of information:

Since early March, GPS stations and tiltmeters at the Kilauea summit have recorded deformation consistent with slow magma accumulation within the shallow portion of the Kilauea summit magma system (1-2 km or approximately 1 mile below ground level). However, gas measurements have yet to indicate significant shallowing of magma. HVO continues to carefully monitor all data streams at the Kilauea summit for important changes.

Further east, GPS stations and tiltmeters continue to show motions consistent with slowed refilling of the deep East Rift Zone magmatic reservoir in the broad region between Puu Oo and Highway 130 over recent weeks. While the significance of this pattern is unclear, monitoring data do not suggest any imminent change in volcanic hazard for this area.

HVO continues to carefully monitor all data streams along the Kilauea East Rift Zone and south flank for important changes, the update said.


I think this is a pretty cool update of Kilauea's activity. All of the information presented, the elevated rate the south flank is moving while the volcano as a whole is inflating at a pretty good clip (over 5 microradians/month at both the summit and out at Puu Oo), and the fact that the inflation includes points east of Puu Oo all create a pretty cool image of a very active volcano.
Reply
#2
Let me highlight the bits that most people here will want to know:

"Miklius said the observations are not a cause for alarm. “There is currently no indication of greater risk of imminent hazard associated with the faster south flank motion,” Miklius said."

And

"Further east, GPS stations and tiltmeters continue to show motions consistent with slowed refilling of the deep East Rift Zone magmatic reservoir in the broad region between Puu Oo and Highway 130 over recent weeks. While the significance of this pattern is unclear, monitoring data do not suggest any imminent change in volcanic hazard for this area."
Reply
#3
Thanks Glinda, that is pretty cool.
Reply
#4
I don't think that continued deformation on the Kilauea south flank is at all unusual after an earthquake - the movement of that region after the 1975 event continued for decades. The big difference now is that we have the technology to monitor the motion in near real time.

We're in a similar situation with Mauna Loa as well: aside from annual precise leveling surveys and laser ranging distance measurements (inflation) across the summit, there was very little data being gathered on the mountain prior to the 1975 eruption; HVO had one (recording) seismometer on the north flank at the time, and that one got covered by a lava flow. We have a much broader and more detailed data set today, but very sparse historical data to compare it to...
Reply
#5
I would, in most cases agree with you geocem, but I think the quote...

Miklius said it is common to see elevated rates of motion on faults after a large earthquake, “however, post-seismic motions slow over time, and we have not yet observed the south flank motion slowing down.”

Is what the 'elevated' in the title of the article is referring to. And, having considerable respect for the cautious nature of Asta's statements I suspect her's is a consensus. Though, as she is quoted saying..

"..we will have to see how it evolves.”
Reply
#6
Miklius said it is common to see elevated rates of motion on faults after a large earthquake, “however, post-seismic motions slow over time, and we have not yet observed the south flank motion slowing down.”

making quoted observations in little over a year?? uh OK ...

fyi, the Big Island has existed within the Hawaiian Islands chain for less that 1% of the time these islands have been here...

fwiw, as we move at 2" / yr to the N-NW .... the Big Island will look like Kure in about 34,000,000 years.... nothing can stop it... been doing this for 80,000,000 years...

(Kure is the largest and most northern atoll in the World, it used to be an island far larger than the Big Island, same with Maui Nui (Maui etc), much larger, same with Haleakala, used to be taller than Mauna Kea, etc....)


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kure_Atoll
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maui_Nui

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF00286537
http://www.soest.hawaii.edu/moore/pubs/Stephen_Puna.pdf

aloha

******************************************************************
save our indigenous and endemic Hawaiian Plants... learn about them, grow them, and plant them on your property, ....instead of all that invasive non-native garbage I see in most yards... aloha
******************************************************************
save our indigenous and endemic Hawaiian Plants... learn about them, grow them, and plant them on your property, ....instead of all that invasive non-native garbage I see in most yards... aloha
Reply
#7
Midway is soooo old u have to dig down 100m to get to lava rock
Wonder how big Midway was 20 mil ago. Its 2 1/2 sq miles now and Kure is only 1 sq mi


HPP

HPP
Reply


Forum Jump:


Users browsing this thread: 2 Guest(s)