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This movie shows a sequence taken from a thermal camera looking into the Halema`uma`u vent cavity between March 5 and 7. Tremor and deflation began at about 1:42pm on March 5, and this was shortly followed by draining of the Halema`uma`u lava lake. Before the draining, the lava lake was about 75 meters below the rim of the vent cavity, and about a day later the lava was about 220 meters deep, having retreated to the bottom of the vent cavity.

MEDIA RELEASE

Friday, March 11, 2011 7:02 AM HST (Friday, March 11, 2011 17:02 UTC)

This report on the status of Kilauea volcanic activity, in addition to maps, photos, and Webcam images, was prepared by the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO). Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park status can be found at http://www.nps.gov/havo/ or 985-6000. Hawai`i County Kalapana Viewing Area status can be found at 961-8093. All times are Hawai`i Standard Time.

KILAUEA VOLCANO (CAVW #1302-01-)
19°25’16” N 155°17’13” W, Summit Elevation 4091 ft (1247 m)
Current Volcano Alert Level: WATCH
Current Aviation Color Code: ORANGE

The east rift zone eruption is currently in a hiatus. The east and west Kamoamoa fissures are still fuming, but no lava is erupting. Pu`u `Ō `ō is the fuming cone in the background.

Activity Summary for past 24 hours: There was no active lava visible on Kilauea volcano. On the east rift zone, the March 5 Kamoamoa fissure eruption was still paused. At the summit, the bottom of the deep vent inset within the east wall of Halema`uma`u Crater was covered with rubble and lava was no longer visible. Summit seismicity and sulfur dioxide emissions remained elevated.

Past 24 hours at Kilauea summit: The bottom of the deep vent inset within the east wall of Halema`uma`u Crater was covered with rubble when viewed from the air yesterday. The summit tiltmeter network recorded DI-like deflation starting at noon yesterday. Seismic tremor levels increased slightly.

Thirty-three earthquakes were strong enough to be located within Kilauea volcano – one within the upper east rift zone and thirty-two in a northwest-southeast alignment beneath Kalapana, including a magnitude-4.6 quake before midnight last night.

The summit gas plume is moving to the southwest this morning. The most recent (preliminary) sulfur dioxide emission rate measurement was 800 tonnes/day on March 10, 2011.

Fume from Pu`u `Ō `ō has diminished enough to see a portion of the rubble-filled crater floor.

Past 24 hours at the middle east rift zone vents: The fissure eruption that started March 5 within Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park remained paused.

The most recent (preliminary) sulfur dioxide emission rate measurement was 350 tonnes/day on March 10, 2011 from all east rift zone sources. substantially lower than earlier in the week.

The tiltmeter on the north flank of Pu`u `O`o recorded continuing deflation. Seismic tremor levels have decreased to moderate values around Pu`u `O`o Crater.

Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park message: In response to the current volcanic conditions, Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park has closed some areas of the park. Check the latest information at http://www.nps.gov/havo/closed_areas.htm.

Hazard Summary: East rift vents and flow field – near-vent areas could erupt or collapse without warning; potentially-lethal concentrations of sulfur dioxide gas are present within 1 km downwind of vent areas. Kilauea Crater – explosive events are capable of ejecting rocks and lava several hundred meters (yards) from the Halema`uma`u vent; ash and potentially-lethal concentrations of sulfur dioxide are present within 1 km downwind.

Maps, photos, Webcam views, and other information about Kilauea Volcano are available at http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/hvo/activity/kilaueastatus.php. A daily update summary is available by phone at (808) 967-8862.

A map with details of earthquakes located within the past two weeks can be found at http://tux.wr.usgs.gov/

A definition of alert levels can be found at http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/activity/alertsystem/index.php