Categorized | Environment, Featured, Volcano

Volcano Watch: Kilauea activity update for week of July 14, 2011

The perched lava pond within Pu`u `O`o, shown here on 29 June 2011, has been the site of dramatic growth and uplift over the past weeks. Photo by USGS/HVO

The perched lava pond within Pu`u `O`o, shown here on 29 June 2011, has been the site of dramatic growth and uplift over the past weeks. Photo by USGS/HVO

(Activity updates are written by scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.)

The lava lake within the Halema`uma`u Overlook vent has been slowly rising over the past week, reflected in the continued inflation starting on July 9. Thermal heating of the vent is causing loud cracks and pops, sometimes audible from the Jaggar Museum overlook.

At Pu`u `O`o, the uplift of the crater floor surrounding the lava lake continues. This slow rise is likely caused by shallow injection of magma into the layered flows that make up the crater floor. Small flows continue to seep from areas outside the perched pond, but all activity remains inside Pu`u `O`o crater.

No earthquakes beneath Hawai`i Island were reported felt this past week.
Visit the HVO Web site (http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov) for detailed Kilauea and Mauna Loa activity updates, recent volcano photos, recent earthquakes, and more; call (808) 967-8862 for a Kilauea summary; email questions to askHVO@usgs.gov

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