Hawaiian Volcano Update: Kīlauea Still Slowly Filling

Another week in March passes by without much change on Kīlauea. The highlight is continued magma accumulation in the area of the south caldera and Southwest Rift Connector, as evidenced by ground tilt even though earthquake rates remain relatively low having decreased from last week. Volcanic gas emissions, the main current threat to residents and visitors, remain relatively low around 85 tonnes of SO2 per day, though are still a concern for sensitive individuals nearby.

Maunaloa also continues its longer, quiet run with few earthquakes and sustained inflation as it recharges with magma, and remains at the lowest USGS warning level. 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.

As a bonus this week, we delve into the geochemistry of Kīlauea’s recent eruptions and HVO’s rapid response petrology workflow, reviewing the USGS presentation from Volcano Awareness Month in January 2024.

We also continue the first donation drive of the year for our nonprofit work.