#US Geological Survey

With the 30th episode, came one of the most significant changes since the eruption started—a new fissure in the caldera wall.

Maunaiki Trail and Kaʻū Desert Trail past the Footprints Exhibit remain closed due to elevated gases and other volcanic hazards that remain at the eruption site.

Since midnight of April 27, over 1,600 earthquake events have been recorded on Kīlauea on the Big Island.

The global volcano monitoring community routinely installs clusters of acoustic sensors called arrays on the flanks of volcanoes that can measure the audible noise (sounds we can hear) and the inaudible noise, which have frequencies that human ears can’t sense (infrasound).

Contractors have fenced off Jaggar Museum, the former US Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory buildings at Uēkahuna and part of the parking lot.

Being able to distinguish between random signals and volcanically induced seismic activity allows seismologists to keep a closer eye on what matters, the volcanoes.

As a precaution, the park has closed Chain of Craters Road at the intersection near Devastation parking lot and nearby areas.

The park regrets any noise impact to residents and park visitors. Dates and times are subject to change based on aircraft availability and weather.

Over the past two decades, scientists and members of the public have anticipated the occurrence of slow slip events (SSEs) on Kīlauea’s south flank. These events are recorded by the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory’s (HVO) continuous GPS network, which show as much as 2 cm (0.75 inches) of increased seaward motion of the flank over 2-3 days — equivalent to about a M6 earthquake.

Despite the development of new volcano monitoring techniques, decades between the eruptions meant there were many uncertainties leading to the recent eruption of Mauna Loa on the Big Island.

Geologist Frank Trusdell will talk about the historic 2022 eruption of Mauna Loa and what we’ve learned from it.

Lava flows have inundated much of the crater floor, which is nearly 300 acres.

Often, the earliest signs of volcanic unrest, before lava is seen, are provided by earthquake activity occurring deeper within the Earth than where other volcano monitoring capabilities can reach. 

The US Senate passed the annual National Defense Authorization Act, which included several provisions to protect coral reefs, improve the nation’s volcanic warning system and stop the practice of killing sharks for their fins.

The question of when and if the lava flow reaches and crosses Saddle Road is on everyone’s minds.

Ta‘ū volcano in American Samoa experienced volcanic unrest in the form of an earthquake swarm that was felt throughout the Manuʻa Islands (Ofu-Olosega and Ta‘ū Islands) from late July through early September 2022.

Satellites orbiting the Earth can provide normal “pictures” of a place, but can also provide thermal images, measure amounts and types of gases, changes in gravity and topography.

A public information session about Mauna Loa will be held on Oct. 22 at the Ocean View Community Center from 1 to 3 p.m.

A 5.0 magnitude earthquake occurred at 9:07 a.m. Friday on the southeastern flank of Mauna Loa on the Big Island, but no tsunami is expected, according to the National Weather Service’s Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Honolulu.

Due to elevated seismic activity on Mauna Loa, the Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park is closing the Mauna Loa summit backcountry until further notice.