Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō Crater’s floor has been slowly uplifting for several weeks. The uplift has rotated sections of the crater floor and opened hot, gaping cracks on it. Monday afternoon (April 30) part of the floor appears to have collapsed via observations from a thermal webcam located on the northwest flank of Puʻu ʻŌʻō and deformation graphs. Images taken Monday, April 30, 2018 courtesy of U.S. Geological Survey

MEDIA RELEASE FROM USGS/HVO

Just after 2 p.m. HST today, April 30, 2018, a marked increase in seismicity and ground deformation (change in ground surface shape) began at Pu’u ‘Ō’ō on Kīlauea Volcano’s East Rift Zone. A few minutes later, a thermal webcam (PTcam) located on the rim of the Pu’u ‘Ō’ō crater showed the first of two episodes of crater floor collapse; the second collapse began at 3:20 p.m. and lasted about an hour. Webcam views into the crater and surrounding area were frequently obscured by poor weather conditions. However, shortly after 4 p.m., the PTcam recorded images that were likely the signature of small explosions from the western side of the crater as the floor collapsed. At the time of this update (6 p.m.), there was no evidence of new lava within the crater, seismicity remained elevated in the vicinity of Pu’u ‘Ō’ō, and ground deformation at Pu’u ‘Ō’ō had significantly slowed.

Kīlauea’s summit eruption has thus far not been affected by this afternoon’s activity at Pu’u ‘Ō’ō.

USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists continue to closely monitor Kīlauea’s East Rift Zone and summit. A helicopter overflight of Pu’u ‘Ō’ō and the 61g flow field is scheduled for early Tuesday, weather permitting.

HVO webcam images are posted at https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/volcanoes/kilauea/multimedia_webcams.html