Update from the U.S. Geological Survey/Hawaiian Volcano Observatory

Recent Observations of the middle east rift zone vents:
The tiltmeter at Pu`u `O`o cone recorded continued inflationary tilt over the past 2.5 days. The Pu`u `O`o eruption continued with no significant changes. Spatter cones on the floor of Pu`u `O`o crater displayed persistent glow with an open lava pond within the collapsed northeast spatter cone.

Recent Observations of the Kahauale`a 2 flow:
The northeast spatter cone complex continued to feed the Kahauale`a 2 lava flow; HVO geologists on a March 07 overflight mapped the most distant active breakout at 7.9 km (4.9 mi) northeast from Pu`u `O`o; this is the farthest advance of the Kahauale`a 2 lava flow since mid-January when the flow extended to 7.8 km (4.6 mi) northeast of Pu`u `O`o before stalling. Camera views showed smoke during the day from lava-induced fires along the north edge of the flow front and, overnight, distant glow from several active breakouts.

In general, this slow-moving lava flow has made erratic progress over the past few months. Breakouts reappear well behind the stalled flow front and take some time to reach the front again. In this way, the flow front has not advanced more than 600 m (2,000 ft) since the first time it stalled in early November, 2013.

Background:
The eruption in Kilauea’s middle east rift zone started with a fissure eruption on January 3, 1983, and continued with few interruptions at Pu`u `O`o Cone, or temporarily from vents within a few kilometers to the east or west. A fissure eruption on the upper east flank of Pu`u `O`o Cone on Sept. 21, 2011, drained the lava lakes and fed a lava flow (Peace Day flow) that advanced southeast through the abandoned Royal Gardens subdivision to the ocean within Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park in early December 2011.

The flows stalled and re-entered the ocean starting on November 24, 2012 until activity started to decline and the ocean entry ceased in August 20, 2013; the flow was dead by early November, 2013. The Kahauale`a flow, which started from the spatter cone/lava lake at the northeast edge of the Pu`u `O`o crater floor in mid-January, 2013, was dead by late April, but a new flow (informally called Kahauale`a 2) became active in the same general area in early May. In general, activity waxes with inflation and wanes with deflation.

Map showing the Kahaualeʻa 2 flow in relation to the eastern part of the Big Island as of March 7, 2014. The front of the Kahaualeʻa 2 flow was 7.9 km (4.9 miles) northeast of Puʻu ʻŌʻō and advancing very slowly. The area of the Kahaualeʻa 2 flow as of February 20 is shown in pink, while widening of the flow since then is shown in red. Older lava flows are distinguished by color: episodes 1–48b flows (1983–1986) are shown in gray; episodes 48c–49 flows (1986–1992) are pale yellow; episodes 50–55 flows (1992–2007) are tan; episodes 58–60 flows (2007–2011) are pale orange, and episode 61 flows (2011–2013) are reddish orange. The active lava tube is shown with a yellow line (dashed where position is poorly known).

KÄ«lauea’s summit lava lake in HalemaÊ»umaÊ»u Crater. A persistent spatter source is active on the lake margin and lava pond in PuÊ»u ʻŌʻō crater, which was undergoing “gas pistoning”. Gas pistoning is the cyclic rise and fall of the lava surface, driven by the buildup and release of gas in the lava pond. This sequence shows the drop of the lava level, which corresponds with vigorous spattering and agitation of the pond surface. Video courtesy of USGS/HVO