Volcanic Earthquakes Continue to Rattle Hawaiʻi Island

SEISMIC HAZARD
HEIGHTENED GLOBAL SEISMICITY
VOLCANIC HAZARD
NIGHTMARE SCENARIOS 07, 08
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Kilauea eruption continues at summit and within east rift zone: HVO

At least 22 volcanic earthquakes have occurred on the Big Island since April 4, 2014. The largest shock measured 3.3Mw, striking a depth of about 8.4km, according to USGS/EHP.

Meanwhile the eruption continued at the summit and within the east rift zone of Kilauea volcano.

EQ Location Map. Volcanic Earthquakes on Big Island. Source: USGS/EHP.

KILAUEA VOLCANO (VNUM #332010)
Location: 19°25’16” N, 155°17’13” W,
Summit Elevation: 1,247 m (4091 ft)
Current Volcano Alert Level: WATCH
Current Aviation Color Code: ORANGE

Activity Summary: The eruption continued at the summit and within the east rift zone. The summit tiltmeter network recorded minor fluctuationst and the level of the circulating summit lava lake dropped slightly. At the middle east rift zone, two lava flows have been active on the Pu`u `O`o crater floor, going beyond the crater rim to the north and southeast; flows to the southeast remain active. The Kahauale`a 2 lava flow most likely continued to be active near its front but our ability to monitor it is temporarily limited. Gas emissions remained elevated.

Recent Observations at Kilauea summit: The summit tiltmeters recorded minor fluctuations and the lava-lake level dropped slightly to an estimated 33-34 m (108-112 ft) below the floor of Halema`uma`u crater. Gas emissions continued to be elevated: during the week ending on 04/29/14, the summit SO2 emission rate varied between 3,600 and 7,400 tonnes/day (see caveat below); the ambient SO2 concentrations near the vent vary greatly, are persistently great than 10 ppm, and frequently exceed 50 ppm (upper limit of detector). The gas plume typically included a small amount of ash-sized tephra (mostly fresh spatter bits and Pele’s hair from the circulating lava lake); the heaviest pieces are deposited onto nearby surfaces while the finer bits can be carried several kilometers before dropping out of the plume. [Source: HVO]

Panorama of Halemaʻumaʻu Overlook Vent [HTcam] – Last Updated 2014-05-03 17:10:02 (HST)

This image is from a temporary thermal camera. The temperature scale is in degrees Celsius up to a maximum of 500 Celsius (932 Fahrenheit) for this camera model, and scales based on the maximum and minimum temperatures within the frame. Thick fume, image pixel size and other factors often result in image temperatures being lower than actual surface temperatures. [Source: HVO]

Mauna Loa Volcano, Summit

Live Panorama of Mokuʻāweoweo Caldera Thermal from the Northwest Rim [MTcam] – Last Updated 2014-05-03 17:30:36 (HST)

Mokuʻāweoweo Caldera Thermal Webcam. [Source: HVO]

Other Links

• Magma Reservoir Re-pressurizing Beneath Mount St. Helens May 2, 2014