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Report on Kilauea (United States) — 8 February-14 February 2012


Kilauea

Smithsonian Institution / US Geological Survey
Weekly Volcanic Activity Report, 8 February-14 February 2012
Managing Editor: Sally Sennert.

Please cite this report as:

Global Volcanism Program, 2012. Report on Kilauea (United States) (Sennert, S, ed.). Weekly Volcanic Activity Report, 8 February-14 February 2012. Smithsonian Institution and US Geological Survey.

Weekly Report (8 February-14 February 2012)

Kilauea

United States

19.421°N, 155.287°W; summit elev. 1222 m

All times are local (unless otherwise noted)


During 8-14 February, HVO reported that the lava lake circulated and periodically rose and fell in the deep pit within Kilauea's Halema'uma'u Crater. Incandescence was visible on the NE and SE edges of the Pu'u 'O'o crater floor, and strongest from a small cone on the NE edge during 8-13 February. A web camera recorded incandescence above the pali on 8 and during 12-14 February. The SE vent issued short lava flows on 14 February.

In comparison to last week, thermal anomalies increased on the flow field during 8-9 February. HVO geologists aboard an overflight on 9 February reported that the small cone on the NE edge had collapsed and was venting hot gas, and the pit was filled with a stream of lava heading NE. Geologists mapped active flows on the flow field about 6 km SE of Pu'u 'O'o and above the abandoned Royal Gardens subdivision. Web camera and satellite images indicated that the flows remained active 6 km SE of Pu'u 'O'o and above the abandoned Royal Gardens subdivision during 10-14 February, and from the Kalapana (E side of the coastal plain) on 13 February. Ground based observers reported active lava at the top of the pali on 11 and 13-14 February.

Geological Summary. Kilauea overlaps the E flank of the massive Mauna Loa shield volcano in the island of Hawaii. Eruptions are prominent in Polynesian legends; written documentation since 1820 records frequent summit and flank lava flow eruptions interspersed with periods of long-term lava lake activity at Halemaumau crater in the summit caldera until 1924. The 3 x 5 km caldera was formed in several stages about 1,500 years ago and during the 18th century; eruptions have also originated from the lengthy East and Southwest rift zones, which extend to the ocean in both directions. About 90% of the surface of the basaltic shield volcano is formed of lava flows less than about 1,100 years old; 70% of the surface is younger than 600 years. The long-term eruption from the East rift zone between 1983 and 2018 produced lava flows covering more than 100 km2, destroyed hundreds of houses, and added new coastline.

Source: US Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO)