Kilauea Summit Update – 5/15/15

Friday morning reports from Hawaiian Volcano Observatory note that activity at Kilauea’s summit is changing.

Since Thursday, tiltmeters at the summit show an increase of tilt that doesn’t generally correspond with summit inflation and deflation models. HVO scientists believe the change in tiltmeter readings, along with seismicity activity to the south of Kilauea caldera, show possible magma movement into the southern caldera area.

As of Friday morning, the summit lava lake was reportedly about 100-115 feet below the original crater floor, showing a continued decrease that began last Friday, May 8.

During the past 24 hours, no record of significant tiltmeter data was recorded along the north flank of Puʻu ʻŌʻō. HVO scientists observing thermal webcam imagery have not seen any flows within the Puʻu ʻŌʻō crater and have reported that seismicity rates in the area are at a normal level. In addition, nighttime incandescence has indicated that lava continues to be present in a collapsed pit crater just west to the vent.

June 27 lava flow activity maintains its recent activity about 5 miles from the northeast of Puʻu ʻŌʻō.