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Volcano Watch: Kilauea activity update for November 21, 2018


Time-lapse panorama of the KÄ«lauea Caldera Wide Angle from HVO Observation Tower. November 15-21, 2018. Images courtesy of USGS/HVO

(Activity updates are written by scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.)

KÄ«lauea is not erupting. Low rates of seismicity, deformation, and gas release have not changed significantly over the past week.

Earthquakes continue to occur primarily at KÄ«lauea’s summit area and south flank, with continued small aftershocks of the May 4, 2018, magnitude-6.9 quake. Seismicity remains low in the lower East Rift Zone (ERZ).

Deformation signals are consistent with magma refilling the middle ERZ. At the summit, tiltmeters showed little change this week, except for a small DI (deflation-inflation) sequence.

Last week, sulfur dioxide gas emissions averaged 25 tonnes/day at the summit and 75 tonnes/day at Puʻu ʻŌʻō. No sulfur dioxide was detected by our instruments in the lower ERZ.

Hazardous conditions still exist at both the lower ERZ and summit. Residents in the lower Puna District and Kīlauea summit areas on the Island of Hawaiʻi should stay informed and heed Hawai‘i County Civil Defense closures, warnings, and messages (http://www.hawaiicounty.gov/active-alerts).

The USGS Volcano Alert level for Mauna Loa remains at NORMAL.

No Hawaii earthquakes received three or more felt reports (minimum to be recounted here) this past week.

Please visit HVO’s website (https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/hvo) for past Volcano Watch articles, Kīlauea and Mauna Loa updates, volcano photos, maps, recent earthquake info, and more. Call 808-967-8862 for weekly Kīlauea updates. Email questions to askHVO@usgs.gov.

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