MEDIA RELEASE

This thermal image was taken from the south rim of Pu`u `Ō `ō crater (April 21), showing the lava lake within the crater. Hotter surfaces, such as the narrow zones between crustal plates, are shown by yellow and white colors. Cooler surfaces, such as the cooled lava around the lake, are shown by blue and black colors. The large size of the crustal plates attests to the relatively sluggish motion of the lava surface. Photos courtesy of USGS/HVO

Lava continued to erupt within Pu`u `O`o over the past week, feeding a small lava lake in the center of the crater. Several small vents opened on the east margin of the crater floor on Tuesday, April 26, feeding additional flows into the lava lake, which remains about 85 m (280 ft) below the east rim of Pu`u `O`o. No lava is erupting outside the crater.

A small lava lake was also present deep within the Halema`uma`u Overlook vent during the past week. The lava level fluctuated gently over periods of several days due to deflation-inflation cycles. Volcanic gas emissions remain elevated, resulting in relatively high concentrations of sulfur dioxide downwind.

A small lava lake, confined by slightly elevated levees, is active at the bottom of Pu`u `Ō `ō crater. The lake is roughly the same size as a football field.

One earthquake beneath Hawai`i Island was reported felt this past week. A magnitude-2.5 earthquake occurred at 9:23 a.m. HST on Wednesday, April 27, 2011, and was located 14 km (8 mi) southeast of Waimea at a depth of 42 km (26 mi).

Visit the HVO Web site (http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov) for detailed Kilauea and Mauna Loa activity updates, recent volcano photos, recent earthquakes, and more; call (808) 967-8862 for a Kilauea summary; email questions to askHVO@usgs.gov.

Volcano Watch is a weekly article and activity update written by scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.