Kilauea Summit Update – 7/21/15

Hawaiian Volcano Observatory believes that the onset of a DI event began early Tuesday morning as rapid deflationary tilt began to be recorded by tiltmeters at Kilauea’s summit.

During the rapid inflation, HVO reports that no out-of-the-ordinary activity occurred within the Overlook crater’s lava lake. Slight fluctuations in spattering occurred but were within normal activity expectations. No change in net level was recorded.

Seismicity remains at low background levels beneath the summit of Kilauea. Several small earthquakes occurred below the summit and in the Southwest Rift Zone areas. HVO also reports scattered small earthquakes across Kilauea’s south flank.

At Puʻu ʻŌʻō, there have been no changes in activity and the incandescent, outgassing crater vents remain. The area continues to have low levels of background seismicity.

Webcam observations of the June 27 lava flow are showing breakouts in an area about 0.6 to 5 miles north of Puʻu ʻŌʻō. HVO reports that the distant breakouts are creeping into the forest along the edge of the flow field.