Dane duPont@dane_dupont ·3h

Hawaiian Volcano Update: Kīlauea Quakes Slower, 100-yr Explosive Eruption Anniversary

Kīlauea continued to quake over the last week, but at slower rates than the previous two weeks, while the volcano’s ground surface continued to show inflation, also at a slower rate. Earthquakes remain clustered in the south caldera and Upper East Rift Connector areas, continuing this month’s trend. There continues to be no increased hazard to people, with volcanic gas emissions still the main current threat to residents and visitors between eruptions. Gas measurements remain relatively low around 60 tonnes of SO2 per day, still of concern for sensitive individuals nearby. Maunaloa continues...

Dane duPont@dane_dupont ·May 10

Hawaiian Volcano Update: Kīlauea Pressurized As Quakes Cycle

Last week’s high earthquake rates beneath Kīlauea’s Upper East Rift Connector and south caldera slowed over the weekend before resuming on Monday at a slightly lower pace. This signal, along with relatively rapid ground tilting and upward movement in the south caldera and Koaʻe Fault Zone, are still “reflective of increasing pressurization in the magmatic system underlying the Kīlauea summit region,” according to the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. Satellite and ground measurements indicate uplift of over 4 inches or 11 centimeters over the past 2 weeks south of Kīlauea’s main caldera. Howe...

Dane duPont@dane_dupont ·May 9

The blast of the century at Kīlauea — USGS-HVO Volcano Watch

Kīlauea began erupting explosively 100 years ago this week, for the first time in nearly a century. The eruption lasted for about 17 days, killing one person and injuring others. The eruption took place from Halemaʻumaʻu at the summit of Kīlauea but was foreshadowed by a seismic crisis and intrusion of magma in lower Puna, 30 miles (50 km) away. In February 1924, the lava lake in Halemaʻumaʻu began to drain back underground. In mid-April, lower Puna was shaking almost constantly, and the ground was cracking open as lava from the emptying lake traveled underground into the lower East Rift Zone...

Dane duPont@dane_dupont ·May 3

What’s shaking at the summit of Kīlauea? — USGS-HVO Volcano Watch

This past week, earthquakes and inflation near Kīlauea’s summit prompted temporary closures within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. What is happening beneath the surface at Kīlauea and what does it mean for potential future eruptive activity? Earthquake activity in the upper East Rift Zone, directly southeast of Kaluapele (Kīlauea’s summit caldera), increased around midnight of April 27. Since then, over 1,600 events have been recorded, most extending from Keanakākoʻi crater southeast towards Pauahi Crater. Most earthquakes have been smaller than magnitude 2 and taking place at depths of 1.2...

Dane duPont@dane_dupont ·Apr 26

Hawaiian Volcano Update: Moving Magma Trembles Kīlauea, April 25, 2024

Over the past week, deeper earthquakes increased in frequency 5 to 6 miles below Kīlauea, with shallower quakes in the south caldera still ongoing but spreading to include the nearby East Rift Connector. The deeper activity peaked on April 19, and after slowing for three days has now resumed providing frequent long-period signals that indicate the movement of magma within the volcano, even as the ground surface of the volcano continues to swell. As a result of this heightened state of unrest, the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory began issuing daily updates for Kīlauea on April 20, but the v...