Hawai‘i Volcano Activity Update: Nov. 23, 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 260 m (285 yd) long and 200 m (220 yd) wide. HVO/USGS image, March 31, 2017.

This past week, Kīlauea Volcano’s summit lava lake level fluctuated with summit inflation and deflation, ranging about 102 to 135 feet below the vent rim. On the East Rift Zone, the 61g lava flow remained active downslope of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō, with scattered breakouts on the coastal plain. The 61g flows do not pose an immediate threat to nearby communities.

Mauna Loa is not erupting. A few small-magnitude earthquakes occurred beneath the summit caldera and upper Southwest Rift Zone at depths less than three miles, with a few deeper earthquakes scattered beneath the volcano’s southeast and west flanks at depths of three to eight miles. GPS measurements continue to show deformation related to inflation of a magma reservoir beneath the summit and upper Southwest Rift Zone. No significant changes in volcanic gas emissions were measured.

One earthquake was reported felt on the Island of Hawaiʻi this past week. On Nov. 22, at 3:33 a.m. HST, a magnitude-3.4 earthquake occurred at 3.7 miles depth, 3.9 miles west of Kīlauea’s summit.

The “Hawai‘i Volcano Activity Update” is a weekly article written by U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists and affiliates.

Call for summary updates at (808) 967-8862 (Kīlauea) or (808) 967-8866 (Mauna Loa); email questions to askHVO@usgs.gov.