The east Kamokuna ocean entry was still active on October 25, with multiple entry points spread along the eastern side of the lava delta. Lava dribbling into the sea at the front of the delta creates a billowy white plume, which looks harmless, but is actually a mixture of superheated steam, hydrochloric acid, and tiny shards of volcanic glass. Photo taken Tuesday, October 25, 2016 courtesy of USGS/HVO

The west Kamokuna lava delta was completely inactive, with no lava entering the ocean. Photo taken Tuesday, October 25, 2016 courtesy of USGS/HVO

An aerial image of the east Kamokuna lava delta this morning shows lava entering the ocean at the front of the delta. Photo by Rick Hazlett, University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo. Photo taken Thursday, October 27, 2016

Looking down from the helicopter, cracks are visible on the surface of the east Kamokuna lava delta. These cracks are reminders that lava deltas are inherently unstable features that can collapse without warning. A lava delta collapse can send tons of hot rock into the sea, generating steam-driven explosions that can hurl fragments of molten lava and solid rock 100s of meters (yards) in all directions—inland and seaward. More information about lava delta hazards is provided in our July 28, 2016, Volcano Watch article (http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/volcanowatch/view.php?id=343). Photo by Rick Hazlett, University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo. Photo taken Thursday, October 27, 2016

Time-lapse movie of Halemaʻumaʻu Overlook Vent from Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. October 20-27, 2016. Images courtesy of USGS/HVO

Time-lapse movie of Halemaumau Overlook Vent. October 20-27, 2016. Images courtesy of USGS/HVO

Time-lapse movie of Halemaumau Crater looking Southwest. October 20-27, 2016. Images courtesy of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

Time-lapse movie of KÄ«lauea Caldera from Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. October 20-27, 2016. Images courtesy of USGS/HVO

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

Kīlauea continues to erupt at its summit and East Rift Zone. This past week, the summit lava lake level varied between 10 and 16 m (33–52 ft) below the vent rim. The 61g lava flow continued to enter the ocean near Kamokuna. The lava flow does not pose an immediate threat to nearby communities.

Mauna Loa is not erupting. During the past week, earthquakes occurred primarily in the south caldera and upper Southwest Rift Zone at depths less than 5 km (3 mi). Additional earthquakes occurred in the Ka‘ōiki area of the east flank between Kīlauea and Mauna Loa, mostly in the 5–11 km (3–7 mile) depth range. GPS measurements continue to show deformation related to inflation of a magma reservoir beneath the summit and upper Southwest Rift Zone, with inflation occurring mainly in the southwestern part of the magma storage complex.

Two earthquakes were reported felt on the Island of Hawaiʻi this past week. On October 27, at 12:08 p.m., HST, a magnitude-3.7 earthquake occurred 5.5 km (3.4 mi) west of Kīlauea’s summit at a depth of 7.8 km (4.9 mi). On October 26, at 10:37 a.m., HST, a magnitude-3.6 earthquake occurred 16.8 km (10.5 mi) south of Kīlauea’s summit at a depth of 26.6 km (16.5 mi).

Please visit the HVO website (http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov) for past Volcano Watch articles, KÄ«lauea daily eruption updates, Mauna Loa weekly updates, volcano photos, recent earthquakes info, and more; call for summary updates at 808-967-8862 (KÄ«lauea) or 808-967-8866 (Mauna Loa); email questions to askHVO@usgs.gov.

October 27, 2016 Rainy Day Flow from Mick Kalber on Vimeo.

Video courtesy of Tropical Visions Video with air transportation by Paradise Helicopters.

This map shows recent changes to Kīlauea’s East Rift Zone lava flow field. The area of the active flow field as of September 20 is shown in pink, while widening and advancement of the active flow as mapped on October 19 from satellite imagery is shown in red. Older Puʻu ʻŌʻō lava flows (1983–2016) are shown in gray.