Kilauea SO2 emissions tops 10,000 tpd

Kilauea Volcano: Elevated Seismicity, Increased Effusion

Volcano Shows Increased Effusion Rates, Significantly Elevated Seismicity at summit and east rift zone

Lava pours from the fissure just after daybreak and cascades out of sight into a deep crack. HVO geologist near upper right for perspective. Source: HVO. Click image to enlarge.

HVO/USGS Volcanic Activity Warning

Volcano: Kilauea (CAVW #1302-01-)
Current Volcano Alert Level: WARNING
Current Aviation Color Code: ORANGE
Previous Aviation Color Code: RED

Issued: Monday, March 7, 2011, 6:13 PM HST (March 8, 2011, at 04:1UTC)
Source: Hawaiian Volcano Observatory
Notice Number: 2011/H2
Location: N 19 deg 25 min W 155 deg 17 min
Elevation: 4,091 ft (1,247 m)
Area: HI Hawaii and Pacific Ocean

Volcanic Activity Summary from HVO:  Eruption continues at Kīlauea volcano’s east rift zone  with intermittent activity at alternating locations along a 2.3 km long fissure between Pu’u ‘Ō’ō and Nāpau Crater. Effusion rates are high, with lava spatter reaching as high as  30m.

East rift zone gas emissions are significantly elevated above the 300 tonnes/day measured during the past several months and as recently as March 5, prior to the fissure eruption. Gas measurements on March 6 show an average SO2 emission rate of 10,000 tonnes/day, the highest measured on the east rift zone since an eruptive surge in July 2008 produced an emission rate of 7,000 tonnes/day. Summit SO2 emissions on March 6 were around 600 tonnes/day.

The TEB eruption system downrift (ENE) of Pu’u ‘Ō’ō appears to have shut down. During today’s overflight of the flow field, no active lava flows were observed on the pali or coastal plain.

Seismicity remains significantly elevated at both Kīlauea’s summit and east rift zone.

Deflation appears to be slowing at the summit and east rift zone.

At Kīlauea’s summit, the lava lake within the Halema’uma’u Crater vent is about 200 m deep, based on visual estimates. A rockfall within the vent at 2:23 p.m. HST today produced a vigorous dusty brown plume.

The fissure is located just west of Pu`u `Ō `ō Crater. Spatter was reaching heights of 40 m (130 ft). Source: HVO

Most of the day’s activity was focused at this vent, around which a low cone was forming. Pu`u `Ō `ō is visible in the background to the northeast. Source: HVO

Source: HVO.  Click image to enlarge.

Video showing lava pouring from the fissure into a seemingly bottomless crack

Video showing lava pouring from the fissure into a seemingly bottomless crack. Napau Crater in the background. Helicopter for scale. Source: HVO

Video showing spattering from the most persistent vent of the day just west of the base of Pu`u `Ō `ō near the northeastern end of the fissure system.

Lava spatters above the fissure just west of the base of Pu`u `Ō `ō

Related Links

• Heightened Activity at Kilauea Volcano
• Kilauea Volcano Continues to Discharge Lava
• Kilauea — Perhaps the World’s Most Active Volcano [Introduction]

• Huge amounts of lava continue to flow from world’s most active volcano in Hawaii, damaging an unoccupied home (Video)
• New Kilauea volcano land collapses explosively into ocean

• Emissions from Kilauea Volcano Brochure
• Lava Viewing Safety Card
• Department of Health Notification of Elevated SO2 and Particulate Levels

• Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park
• More images
• Maps

• Halema`uma`u webcam
• Pu`u `Ō `ō webcam

HVO Links:

Kīlauea Update | Mauna Loa Status | Deformation | Maps | Webcams | Images | Movies

Hawaii Volcanoes  Webcams

Kīlauea Summit
Halema`uma`u from HVO	Halema`uma`u from Overlook
Kīlauea East Rift Zone
Pu`u `Ō `ō	Thanksgiving Eve Breakout From Pu`u `Ō `ō
Napau Crater
Mauna Loa Summit
Mokuawe`owe`o, Mauna Loa Summit Caldera

Colorado: Significant winter storm forecast

Colorado: Significant winter storm, up to 2 feet of snow

Snow Possible from Rockies to Missouri Valley, Great Lakes

Kansas City, Mo., Monday, March 7, 2011 – NOAA forecasters said the Central United States will see mostly rain and snow for the next few days. Heavy snow is expected today in the mountains of Utah and Colorado and part of the Central Plains. Rainy conditions will prevail from the Southwest across Nevada, New Mexico and Oklahoma to Kansas and northeast Missouri.


Weather Warnings. Click image to enter NWS portal.

Click image to enlarge.

Winter Storm Warnings, Watches and Advisories are in effect in major portions of Colorado, Wyoming, Kansas and Nebraska, as well as northeast Iowa and southwest Wisconsin. Snowfall totals are expected to range from a few inches to two feet or more at higher elevations. Weather statements include:

Grand Junction and southwest Colorado:

• Winter Storm Warning today and tonight for eastern Utah and western Colorado – expect 1-2 feet of snow above 8,500 feet; 3-6 inches in northwest valleys

Pueblo and southeast Colorado:

• Winter Storm Warning for parts of the Mosquito Range, Sangre de Cristo Mountains above 11,000 feet, the Wet Mountains, Chafee and Fremont counties – 6-10 inches of snow at lower elevations, 10-20 inches above 10,000 feet

Dodge City, southwest and south-central Kansas:

• Winter Storm Warning from midnight CST tonight to midnight Tuesday – expect 5-9 inches of snow, possibly preceded by a brief period of freezing rain and sleet

Weather Story:  Grand Junction, CO

A significant winter storm will affect the region into Tuesday, with snowfall of 1 to 2 feet anticipated for mountain locations and 3 to 6 inches over the valleys in northwest Colorado and southwest Colorado. 6 to 8 inches can be expected in the Steamboat Springs area. Elsewhere, rain will change over to snow overnight with little accumulation. Dry and warmer conditions will return later in the week…though isolated to scattered snow showers are possible from time to time in the northern mountains.

Weather Story: Kansas

A strong spring storm system will move across the Rockies and Plains states tonight through Tuesday night. Light snow will begin this evening and become more widespread and increase in intensity tonight and Tuesday morning. Gusty North winds of around 25 mph on Tuesday will produce areas of blowing and drifting snow and wind chills near 10 degrees above zero. Some locations could receive as much as 10 inches of snow by the time the snow diminishes Tuesday evening. Dry and warmer conditions will follow late in the week and persist through the weekend. Source: NWS

Weather Story: Nebraska

As depicted in the purple-shaded area above, a decent chunk of South Central Nebraska and North Central Kansas appears in line to receive significant snowfall accumulations of potentially 6-12 inches between late tonight and late Tuesday night. This snow will actually arrive in two separate systems, as outlined in the black box above. The first round will affect mainly Nebraska from late tonight into Monday evening, and bring a fairly widespread 2-5 inches of snow. Unfortunately, the second system that will strike Monday night, Tuesday, and Tuesday night is looking stronger than the first one, and will feature heavier snowfall of 6-10 inches along with northerly winds of 20-25 MPH and higher gusts. All snowfall should be over with by sunrise Wednesday as the system moves off to the east. Source: NWS

UTAH and WYOMING

WINTER STORM TO IMPACT THE REGION

A STORM SYSTEM MOVING THROUGH THE REGION WILL KEEP WIDESPREAD SNOW GOING ACROSS MUCH OF UTAH AND SOUTHWEST WYOMING OVERNIGHT. THE HEAVIEST SNOW WILL EXIST OVER THE NORTHERN AND CENTRAL MOUNTAINS. ALONG THE WESTERN VALLEYS NEAR THE I-15 CORRIDOR AND OVER EXTREME SOUTHWEST WYOMING. THIS STORM WILL MOVE EAST OF THE AREA BY EARLY TUESDAY BRINGING A GRADUAL END TO SNOW TUESDAY
MORNING. Source: NWS