Fountaining & active lava flows on the floor of Nāpau Crater.

[Punatang]

https://www.usgs.gov/volcanoes/kilauea/volcano-updates

HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY DAILY UPDATE
U.S. Geological Survey
Tuesday, September 17, 2024, 9:51 AM HST (Tuesday, September 17, 2024, 19:51 UTC)

KILAUEA (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: Kīlauea volcano is erupting in Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park from a new fissure vent that opened within Nāpau Crater this morning between 4:00 and 5:00 AM HST. Current eruptive activity began with a small eruption that occurred on the evening September 15 from a fissure located just west of Nāpau Crater and lasted a few hours. A second phase of the eruption began at approximately 6:00 PM last night. Activity decreased overnight until approximately 4:00 AM this morning, when a third phase of the eruption began. The eruption is occurring within a closed and remote area of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. There is no immediate threat to life or infrastructure. Chain of Craters Road, which is closed, is located far downslope and downwind of the eruption. Residents of nearby subdivisions may experience volcanic gas emissions related to this activity which may increase and decrease over the coming hours and days. The Volcano Alert Level/Aviation Color Code remains at WATCH/ORANGE. No changes have been detected in the lower East Rift Zone or Southwest Rift Zone.

Summit Observations: Approximately 17 earthquakes were detected beneath the Kīlauea summit region over the past 24 hours, at depths of 1–3 km (0.6–1.9 mi) below the ground surface, and with magnitudes of M2 or less. Summit tiltmeters (UWE, SDH, and IKI, to the northwest, southwest, and east of the summit respectively) continued recording deflationary tilt throughout the day yesterday, with UWE recording approximately 10 microradians of tilt in the last 24 hours. This pattern is consistent with magma leaving the summit storage chambers and transferring to the middle East Rift Zone. The most recent measurement of SO2 emission rate at the summit was 75 tonnes per day on August 20, 2024.

Rift Zone Observations: This morning, several lava fountains approximately ten meters (yards) high are generating lava flows on the floor of Nāpau Crater. This fissure system opened between 4:00 and 5:00 AM HST this morning as detected by NOAA GOES satellite thermal data and USGS Hawaiian Volcano Obseratory (HVO) infrasound, seismic, and camera instruments. Currently, the fissure system in Nāpau is about 0.5 km long (.3 mi) and cuts east-west across the northern crater floor. The fissure appears to have opened just west of Nāpau early this morning and propagated eastward as the eruption progressed.  As of 8:30 AM, approximately 25-30% of Nāpau Crater floor has been covered by lava, which is confined to the crater. Photos taken during an HVO overflight this morning are available here: September 17, 2024 —Kīlauea middle East Rift Zone eruption | U.S. Geological Survey (usgs.gov).

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

I took this photo a month ago from the top of Pu’u Huluhulu.  Eruption started about a mile (?) away in field of view. (No eruption in photo)

[Punatang]

Eruption started about a mile (?) away

Butterfly wings?

That's actually kinda exciting right?  Thanks for sharing.

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

kinda exciting right?

Yes, there were cracks on the road and in the paved parking area. Looking back, we were standing on magma pushing the ground and asphalt upward.

Thanks for posting the press release and photo. There would be a great view from Pu’u Huluhulu today!

[MyManao]

I took this photo a month ago from the top of Pu’u Huluhulu.  Eruption started about a mile (?) away in field of view. (No eruption in photo)

No, sorry Edge, from the top of Pu’u Huluhulu you can't see that far directly.. the rise created by the Makaopuhi crater / Kānenuiohamo cone structure (the cone/mound in the middle ground of your pic - the one covered in foliage). The eruption is taking place between that complex and the far cone in the background of your pic which is Puu Oo.

Here's a map from HVO's site.. with Makaopuhi crater / Kānenuiohamo cone seen (partially) on the left, and Nāpau crater on the right, and Puu Oo is still a mile further to the right than the area seen here..

The interesting thing to note is phase 1 of the Puu Oo eruption was also at this same location. In other words, this is the first sign of a possible reoccupying of the Puu Oo plumbing system..

[kalianna]

Pity. No can 'ike. No can hele. :-(

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

you can't see that far directly.. the rise created by the Makaopuhi crater

OK, it’s near the edge of Makaopuhi.  So how about if I say you could see the orange glow at night in the field of view?  To paraphrase the X Files, The Lava Is Out There.


No can 'ike.

It’s possible.  But would be long, and through temporary trail barriers and no entry signage. Then there’s unpredictable sulfur emissions.  Not to mention rangers.

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Live camera:
https://www.usgs.gov/observatories/hvo/s...-southwest

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Fountains!
(Video)
https://x.com/usgsvolcanoes/status/1836178612149432643?s=46&t=4TlBfPH66JMG_Q6_VsFtJA

[kalianna]

Thanks for the webcam link HOTPE. Can ʻīke!

[MarkD]

Great photo.

[MyManao]

Now, at the time of this writing, it looks like the eruption has migrated west, out of Napau back towards Makaopuhi / Kanenuiohamo and is producing a flow that is cascading into Napau.

Here's the webcam image showing the same.. it should update itself pretty regularly with a reload of the page.. and is backlit at the moment but should look lovely as the sun sets.