Hawaiian Volcano Update: Kīlauea Earthquakes Slightly Elevate Near Recent Eruption, October 24, 2024
One month since the end of Kīlauea’s 5-day eruption at Nāpau Crater, magma recharge into the volcano’s East Rift first uplifted the ground nearby, by over 1 inch or 3 cm during the first half of October, and within the past week appears to be triggering a slight increase in earthquakes. Shallow earthquakes in the area increased in number from 18 over the first four days of the week to 133 over the last three days, still well below the hundreds of earthquakes per day that were detected during the week ahead of the September 15-20 eruption. The ground uplift detected by satellite earlier in the month is evident once again on the tiltmeter at Puʻuʻōʻō, which suggests magma build-up to the west around Nāpau, but not beneath the collapsed crater itself, still around 1000 feet or 300 meters deep. New images show moss and ferns growing near the crater rim, evidence of the lack of sulfur gases from magma in the area that prevented their growth from the early 1980s until the crater’s collapse in 2018. The volcano’s summit looks to be deflating slightly even as the south caldera region shows increased inflation, similar to the pattern of migrating pressure centers evident over the past year. “Future intrusive episodes and eruptions could occur with continued magma supply” into the East Rift, according to the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.
For now, although gas emissions have remained around the volcanic background near 60 tonnes of SO2 per day, this is the greatest volcanic threat to people, especially those with respiratory sensitivities. Neighboring Maunaloa continues its usual pattern with a few earthquakes consisten with its long-term recharge and corresponding adjustments following the 2022 eruption. For our special segment this week, we revisit the 2024 Volcano Awareness Month presentation by USGS geologist Dr. Natalia Deligne: “What do we know about American Samoa’s volcanoes?” In response to over 300 earthquakes greater than magnitude 2.5 from July to September 2022, the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory has increased their monitoring and presence on the remote islands under their watch. While the activity subdued without an eruption and the area has been quiet ever since, HVO’s data streams remain active and volcano updates for American Samoa continue to be issued monthly.
As usual, we review the monitoring signals, imagery, and reports available courtesy of the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, annotating the presentation on screen as we go and discussing live viewer questions.
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