Volcano Watch: Kilauea activity update for September 6, 2018


An Unmanned Aircraft Systems overflight yesterday (September 4, 2018) showed a small cone on the floor of the crater within fissure 8. The cone formed as lava erupted from an opening on the surface of the flow that covers the crater floor. Video taken Tuesday, September 64, 2018 courtesy of U.S. Geological Survey


Time-lapse movie at Mile Marker 14.5 on Pahoa-Kalapana Road (Route 130). August 30-September 6, 2018. Images courtesy HDOT

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

At KÄ«lauea’s lower East Rift Zone, lava intermittently erupted within the fissure 8 cone during the past week, but no lava flowed beyond the spillway or into the ocean as of Sept. 6. At the summit of the volcano, seismicity and ground deformation were negligible, and a collapse event has not occurred since August 2. However, hazardous conditions remain in both areas. Residents in the lower Puna and KÄ«lauea summit areas on the Island of HawaiÊ»i should stay informed and heed Hawai‘i County Civil Defense closures, warnings, and messages (http://www.hawaiicounty.gov/active-alerts). HVO daily KÄ«lauea updates are posted at https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/volcanoes/kilauea/status.html.

Sulfur dioxide emission rates at Kīlauea’s summit, Puʻu ʻŌʻō, and lower East Rift Zone are drastically reduced; the combined rate (less than 1,000 tonnes per day) is lower than at any time since late 2007.

At Mauna Loa, HVO geophysical monitoring networks indicate that earthquakes and deformation are near background levels, and the USGS Volcano Alert level for the volcano remains at NORMAL.

HVO continues to closely monitor both KÄ«lauea and Mauna Loa and will report any significant changes on either volcano.

Two earthquakes with three or more felt reports occurred in Hawaiʻi this past week: a magnitude-3.3 quake 17 km (11 mi) south of Fern Acres at 7 km (4 mi) depth on September 5 at 5:30 a.m. HST; and a magnitude-2.8 quake 18 km (11 mi) southeast of Honoka‘a at 12 km (7 mi) depth on August 30 at 07:22 a.m. HST. Continued Kīlauea south flank seismicity is aftershocks of the magnitude-6.9 earthquake on May 4, 2018.

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

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