Categorized | Featured, Sci-Tech, Volcano

Volcano Watch: Kilauea activity update for October 31, 2019

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

KÄ«lauea Volcano is not erupting and its USGS Volcano Alert level remains at NORMAL (https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/vhp/about_alerts.html). Updates for KÄ«lauea are now issued monthly.

Kīlauea monitoring data have shown no significant changes in volcanic activity over the past week. Rates of earthquake activity or seismicity across the volcano remain largely steady with three periods of increased microseismic activity each lasting a couple of days. Sulfur dioxide emission rates are low at the summit and are below detection limits at Puʻu ʻŌʻō and the lower East Rift Zone. The pond at the bottom of Halema‘uma‘u, which began forming on July 25, 2019, continues to slowly expand and deepen.

Mauna Loa is not erupting. Its USGS Volcano Alert level remains at ADVISORY. This alert level does not mean that an eruption is imminent or that progression to an eruption is certain.

During the past week, approximately 147 small-magnitude earthquakes (nearly all smaller than M2.0) were detected beneath the upper elevations of Mauna Loa. Most of the earthquakes occurred at shallow depths of less than 5 km (~3 mi) below ground level, but a couple were as deep as 12 km (~7.5 mi).

Mauna Loa updates are issued weekly. For more info on the status of the volcano, please go to: https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/volcanoes/mauna_loa/status.html

HVO continues to closely monitor both KÄ«lauea and Mauna Loa for any signs of increased activity.

Please visit HVO’s website (https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/hvo) for past Volcano Watch articles, Kīlauea and Mauna Loa updates, volcano photos, maps, recent earthquake info, and more. Call 808-967-8862 for weekly KILAUEA updates. Email questions to askHVO@usgs.gov.

This video shows the unmanned aircraft system (UAS) collecting a water sample from Halema‘uma‘u. This wider view shows the scale of the UAS relative to the water pond. USGS video by M. Patrick, 26 Oct 2019. Limited UAS flights into this area are conducted with permission and coordination with Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. The information is used to assess hazards at KÄ«lauea’s summit, and is shared with the National Park Service and emergency managers.
This video shows another view of the unmanned aircraft system sampling water from Halema‘uma‘u. USGS video by C. Parcheta, 26 Oct 2019.
This video shows a close-up of the unmanned aircraft system collecting a water sample in Halema‘uma‘u. USGS video by M. Patrick, 26 Oct 2019.

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