Hawaiian Volcano Update: Kīlauea Intrusion In 3rd Month

Another week brought another pulse of earthquakes in Kīlauea’s ongoing intrusion of the Southwest Rift and south caldera areas, but largely the situation on the volcano remains the same since October. It continues to fill with magma and pressurize underground, leading to adjustments of the large blocks surrounding the caldera and injections of magma between them. If at any point the volcano cannot adjust to accommodate the growing pressure, it might push to the surface and erupt within a 1 to 2 hour time-frame (within the National Park), but alternately it could continue to move and adjust for several months.

Intrusions into the Southwest Rift lasted over 8 months in 1981 and 6 months in 1982, as an example. The Upper East Rift Connector also continues to quake, connected to the area of largest swelling by the Koaʻe Faults, but there is no sign of change in the Middle or Lower East Rift Zones which continue to contract and sag following the aftermath of 2018.

All changes are contained within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, and pose no increased threat to people at this time. Gas emissions remain at background levels for the volcano around 100 tonnes of SO2 per day, but can still affect sensitive individuals in downwind areas. Typically gas emissions are at their worst at the start of each eruption, thus between eruptions is the best time for those exposed to prepare.

Maunaloa remains relatively quiet, although it continues to inflate as it recharges with magma. Deep earthquakes under its summit still continue at a slow rate. For now, the volcano 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 and discussing live viewer questions as we go.