movement was disrupted again.
The Kahauale‘a 2 lava flow advanced yet again through late April and early May. This period, however, was accompanied by more profound pressurization within the magma chamber beneath Kilauea, as indicated by summit inflation and extension, which led to a relatively high lava level within the lava lake at Kilauea’s summit.
In the East Rift Zone, the increased pressure manifested itself as (or was reflected in) new lava flows from several spatter cones on the floor of the Pu‘u ‘O‘o crater.
This renewed filling of the crater brought lava to within just a few yards of Hawaiian Volcano Observatory webcams and other equipment positioned on the north rim of Pu‘u ‘O‘o.
Sustained flows also topped much of the south rim of the crater, burying much of the southern flank of the Pu‘u ‘O‘o cone beneath a carapace of new lava.
This period of heightened activity came to a sudden end May 10, when an abrupt deflation and increase in seismicity at Kilauea’s summit marked the release of summit pressurization, likely a result of the intrusion of magma beneath the surface just south of the volcano’s summit.
New lava flows within and around Pu‘u ‘O‘o quickly stagnated, and the forward momentum of the Kahauale‘a 2 flow was disrupted after it reached 8.8 kilometers (5.5 miles) northeast of Pu‘u ‘O‘o .
Since late May, the summit of Kilauea has been inflating once again, reaching a pressurization state similar to that prior to the May “intrusion.”
The summit lava lake has also risen to a level comparable to its level in early May.
Despite this, the Kahauale‘a 2 flow has been even weaker than before, suggesting a fundamental change in the magmatic plumbing system.
A handful of small breakouts, spread along the well-established lava tube within the flow, have crept forward since then, but as of mid-June, had reached only 7.0 kilometers (4.3 miles) from the vent.
With the current pressurized state of Kilauea, and especially with the lack of much pressurization at Pu‘u ‘O‘o , we can’t help but wonder whether it will result in another small intrusion beneath Kilauea’s summit, or perhaps in something even more significant, such as the March 2011 Kamoamoa fissure eruption along the volcano’s East Rift Zone. Then again, it might lead to nothing.
No matter how the current conditions on Kilauea play out, scientists at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory will continue to monitor the volcano’s every move and keep you informed about the Kahauale‘a 2 flow through our daily eruption updates (http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/activity/kilaueastatus.php).
Kilauea activity update
A lava lake within Halema‘uma‘u produced nighttime glow visible via HVO’s webcam during the past week. The lava lake level rose slightly, reaching about 36 meters (118 feet) below the rim of the Overlook Crater by June 19.
On Kilauea’s East Rift Zone, the Kahauale‘a 2 flow remains active. The flow front stalled at 8.8 kilometers (5.5 miles) northeast of its vent on Pu‘u ‘O‘o in mid-May.
On June 17, the most distant active flows were 7 kilometers (4.3 miles) northeast of Pu‘u ‘O‘o. In addition, several small spatter cones within the Pu‘u ‘O‘o crater continued to produce glow.
There was one earthquake reported felt in the past week across the Hawaiian Islands.
At 6:05 p.m. June 17, a magnitude 2.4 earthquake occurred 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) southwest of Captain Cook at a depth of 13 kilometers (8 miles).
Visit the HVO website (http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov) for Volcano Awareness Month details and Kilauea, Mauna Loa and Hualalai activity updates, recent volcano photos, recent earthquakes and more; call (808) 967-8862 for a Kilauea summary; email questions to askHVO@usgs.gov.
Volcano Watch (http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/volcanowatch/) is a weekly article and activity update written by scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey`s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.