Volcano Activity Update: June 1, 2017

View looking southeast along the long axis of the lava lake in Halema‘uma‘u at Kīlauea’s summit. The lava lake is about 285 yards long and 220 yards wide. HVO/USGS image, March 31, 2017.

This past week, Kīlauea Volcano’s summit lava lake fluctuated in concert with summit inflation and deflation, with levels ranging around 56 to 121 feet below the vent rim.

On the East Rift Zone, the 61g flow remained active, with lava entering the ocean near Kamokuna and scattered surface breakouts downslope of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō, some reaching the base of the pali. These flows do not pose an immediate threat to nearby communities.

Mauna Loa is not erupting.

GPS measurements continue to show deformation consistent with inflation of a magma reservoir beneath the summit and upper Southwest Rift Zone.

No significant changes in volcanic gas emissions were measured.

During the past week, small-magnitude earthquakes were recorded, mostly from beneath the volcano’s summit caldera and upper Southwest Rift Zone at depths of about 1 to 2 miles.

Microearthquakes also occurred on the east flank at depths of 3 to 8 miles.

Two earthquakes were reported felt on the Island of Hawaiʻi during the past week. On May 27, at 10:24 a.m. HST, a magnitude-3.5 earthquake occurred 9 miles northeast of Pāhala at a depth of 2 miles. On May 26, at 11:03 a.m., a magnitude-2.5 earthquake occurred 1 mile northeast of Leilani Estates at a depth of 2 miles.