Kilauea volcano eruption july 9, 2008 - Hawaii

Recent Kilauea Status Reports

KILAUEA VOLCANO (CAVW#1302-01-)
19.42°N 155.29°W, Summit Elevation 4091 ft (1247 m)
Volcano Alert Level: WATCH
Aviation Color Code: ORANGE

This report on the status of Kilauea volcanic activity, in addition to maps, photos, and webcam images (available using the menu bar above), was prepared by the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO). Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park status can be found at http://www.nps.gov/havo/ or 985-6000. Hawai`i County Viewing Area status can be found at http://www.lavainfo.us or 961-8093.

Activity Summary for last 24 hours: Kilauea summit continued to deflate while Pu`u `O`o weakly inflated. Small amounts of ash and elevated amounts of sulfur dioxide gas continued to issue from the Halema`uma`u vent. At the east rift eruption site, an unusually high amount of sulfur dioxide gas issued from Pu`u `O`o crater; more lava than usual continued to erupt from the TEB vent area and flow into the tube system feeding multiple but short surface flows; lava has resumed flowing into the ocean at Waikupanaha.

Last 24 hours at Kilauea summit: Overnight, vent incandescence continued with at least three notable winks with most following small local earthquakes. During two of the winks, brief flashes of incandescence were noted.

Small amounts of ash were found in the under-plume collectors this morning; the samples were again dominated by rock dust with lesser amounts of volcanic glass bits.

A white plume is rising from the Halema`uma`u vent into a clear blue sky and being blown to the southwest about 500-600 m (1,600-2,000 ft) above the Ka`u Desert this morning; the plume was visible from just outside Hilo. The SO2 emission rate remained high and variable; the most recent average measurement was 700 tonnes/day on July 7 compared to 1,400 tonnes/day on July 6 and a pre-2008 background rate between 150-200 tonnes/day.

The summit tiltmeter network continued to record deflation of a source beneath the south edge of Halema`uma`u Crater. GPS receivers on opposite sides of the summit caldera recorded continued contraction.

Seismic tremor is at moderate levels with episodic bursts reaching elevated values. The amplitude of the tremor bursts has been decreasing while the amplitude of the tremor between bursts increased resulting in increasingly long periods of little or no apparent tremor bursts. The number of RB2S2BL earthquakes beneath Halema`uma`u Crater peaked at 150/d around midnight (compared to recent background values of 30-40/d) and immediately started to decrease. There were no earthquakes large enough to be located beneath Kilauea.

Last 24 hours at the middle east rift zone vents and flow field: Magma continued to degas at shallow levels beneath Pu`u `O`o resulting in an unusually high emission of 4,800 tonnes/day of sulfur dioxide on July 6, up from 3,100 tonnes/day on July 4 and background values of about 2,000 tonnes/day. The webcam recorded weaker incandescence within Pu`u `O`o crater again last night.

The tiltmeter on the north side of Pu`u `O`o cone recorded minor oscillations with no net change. Preliminary GPS data suggest an overall decrease in the rate of contraction since June 24. Seismic tremor levels at the TEB vent have decreased to values slightly higher than those on July 6. Tremor levels at Pu`u `O`o remain elevated.

Lava enters the tube system under the TEB vent and flows through tubes beneath the rootless shield complex. Brief incandescence from the TEB vent and a low lava fountain issuing multiple short flows from one of the uppermost rootless shield continued. Last night, CD officials reported at least partial resumption of the ocean entry along with good views of incandescence reflected in the clouds from the activity in the rootless shield complex.

Article source: Recent Kilauea Status Reports, Updates, and Information Releases
Credit: U.S. Geological Survey
Department of the Interior/USGS
The USGS home page is http://www.usgs.gov