#Hawaii Volcano Observatory

It was a dark and stormy night… and the volcano had a secret.

The eruption at Kīlauea volcano that began on Monday, Dec. 23, continues this morning.  Over the past day, vents in the southwest portion of the caldera have continued producing a fan of lava flows covering the southwest portion of the crater floor, with the vigor of lava fountaining increasing over the past day.

Earthquake activity has increased in Kīlauea’s middle East Rift Zone, near Makaopuhi Crater. Ground deformation patterns west (uprift) of Puʻuʻōʻō suggest that another intrusive event could be occurring in this region, but scientists with the Hawaiʻi Volcano Observatory say Kīlauea is not erupting at this time.

Earth’s magnetic field surrounds us every second of the day, everywhere on the planet. Anyone who has picked up a pocket compass and seen the magnetic needle quickly align itself has seen the action of this ever-present invisible field. But can we harness the magnetic field to forecast volcanic activity? Emerging technology in the field of “quantum” science may aid us in doing so.

A lava pond has replaced the fountains of lava at Mauna Loa’s fissure 3 vent, as scientists report a reduced supply of lava and gas emissions Saturday morning.

Frank A. Trusdell, a research geologist at the U.S. Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO), recently received a Meritorious Service Award, the second highest honorary award that can be granted to a career employee by the U.S. Department of the Interior.

The year 1916 not only marked the birth of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, but also is remembered for the eruption of the Honamalino flow from the Southwest Rift Zone (SWRZ) of Mauna Loa 106 years ago.

Disturbances to a magma or lava body—such as Kīlauea Volcano’s underground summit magma reservoir or its current lava lake—can occur for a variety of reasons, including rising gas pockets or the fall of wall rocks into a lava lake. When a body of magma or lava is disturbed, the fluid in it can respond by vibrating or sloshing in a variety of ways.

The long-term likelihood of an area being invaded by lava in the future, is estimated in two different ways based on the history of lava flow activity. One approach uses a geologic map to calculate how much land surface was covered by lava during different periods going back into the past; the resulting numbers are called coverage rates. Another approach calculates how frequently lava flows have occurred within specific areas over time; the resulting number is a lava flow probability.

There were 2 events with 3 or more felt reports in the Hawaiian Islands during the past week: a M2.8 earthquake 21 km (13 mi)  WNW of Mountain View at 19 km (12 mi) depth on Aug. 25 at 9:25 a.m. HST and a M3.3 earthquake 9 km (5 mi) ENE of Pāhala at 32 km (19 mi) depth on Aug. 20 at 10:16 a.m. HST.

Volcano seismology is more than just transcribing earthquakes in tallies or almanacs. Seismic sleuths need to pay attention to the entire soundtrack—this includes the magma-related seismicity that often goes unnoticed but is critical in determining momentum and mood, and ultimately deciphering the eruption story as it unfolds.

One of the most interesting aspects of the current activity in Halemaʻumaʻu is the occasional oozing of lava around the edges of the entire crater while the lava surface is rising. Has that phenomenon been reported before in any accounts of previous Kīlauea activity?

Pele returned to the summit of Kīlauea on the evening of Dec. 20, 2020. Incredible video documents the start of the new eruption in Halema‘uma‘u and the dynamic ongoing activity. There was no significant change that suggested lava would erupt again so rapidly, but there were subtle signs of restless behavior around Kīlauea’s summit in the months prior to the eruption.

Kīlauea Volcano is erupting. Its USGS Volcano Alert level is at WATCH. Lava activity is confined to Halemaʻumaʻu with lava erupting from a vent on the northwest side of the crater.

This is why the MMI scale is the best way to communicate the relative effects among earthquakes. Values are derived from direct observations of the public and will give the best sense of shaking experienced in different regions.

Kīlauea monitoring data for the past month show variable but typical rates of seismicity and ground deformation, low rates of sulfur dioxide emissions, and only minor geologic changes since the end of eruptive activity in September 2018.

Dr. Johanne (Jo) Schmith joined the ranks of the US Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) in June to study some deposits of past Kīlauea explosions—a timely endeavor given the presence of water in the caldera today.

US Senator Mazie Hirono successfully advocated for $21 million in federal funding for US Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory to build a new field station in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park in the year end spending package making its way through Congress.

Volcano Watch is a weekly article and activity update written by U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists and affiliates. Today’s article is by HVO geophysicist Jefferson Chang.

All seismic data are freely available to the public. How can you view these ground motion data? There are several ways.