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Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park Monitoring Kīlauea Eruption

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By

Justin Housman

Published Date

September 16, 2024

Kīlauea's venting as seen from the air / NPS

Kīlauea, a volcano on the southeast shore of Hawaiʻi, began venting increasing amounts of gas over the weekend. Numerous and intense local earthquakes have also been detected. And, as of this afternoon, it's been reported Kīlauea erupted briefly overnight. As a result, the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) is raising the Volcano Alert Level for the area from an "advisory" to a "watch" and the Aviation Color Code from YELLOW to ORANGE.

Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park has closed the popular Chain of Craters Road due to the gas emissions and general volcanic unrest. 

Kīlauea is one of the youngest and most active volcanoes in the world, so some volcanic activity is certainly not unusual. Kīlauea erupted briefly on June 3, 2024, southwest of the summit region within a closed area of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. 

The USGS recorded a magma intrustion on September 14 in the east rift zone, a remote part of the national park. Ground deformation patterns between Maunaulu and  Makaopuhi Crater indicate magma is moving below the surface, with the potential for a large underground crack to form. Cameras pointed at Kīlauea and GEOS satellite data are not detecting any evidence that lava is erputing from the surface, but heavy rainfall in the area is complicating detection. 

Kīlauea venting from the air / USGS

Hundreds of earthquakes have been recorded in the east rift zone in the past day as well as 25 seismic events near the summit region. Instruments indicate magma has flowed from storage chambers at Kīlauea's summit toward the rift zone.

A similar set of circumstances at Kīlauea in 2007 led to a lava flow of about half a football field, according to the USGS. 

HVO is in close contact with Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park and the Hawai‘i County Civil Defense Agency. Please see the Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park website for visitor information: https://www.nps.gov/havo/index.htm. 

HVO will continue to monitor this activity closely and adjust the alert level/aviation color code for Kīlauea accordingly. Should volcanic activity change significantly, a new Volcanic Activity Notice will be issued. 

 

 

 

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