Kīlauea Volcano Update: Aug. 17, 2017

The flow front of the June 26 breakout has stalled. On the coastal plain on Aug. 15, 2017, the closest active breakouts found by HVO geologists were 1.3 miles upslope from the emergency route. There were a few areas of active pāhoehoe breakouts which varied from sluggish ropey textures to thin and fluid flows. USGS/HVO photo.

This past week, Kīlauea Volcano’s summit lava lake level varied 92 to 144 feet below the vent rim, with fluctuations in concert with summit inflation and deflation.

On the East Rift Zone, the 61g flow remained active, with lava entering the ocean near Kamokuna and surface breakouts downslope of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō.

The 61g flows do not pose an immediate threat to nearby communities.

Mauna Loa is not erupting.

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.

During the past week, small-magnitude earthquakes continued to occur beneath the volcano, primarily in the upper Southwest Rift Zone, at depths less than 3 miles.

One earthquake with three or more felt reports in the Hawaiian islands occurred during the past week.

• On Aug. 16, at 05:24 a.m. HST, a magnitude-3.1 earthquake located 6.2 miles ENE of Honoka‘a and 9 miles in depth.

The Kīlauea 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.