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Report on Kilauea (United States) — 1 May-7 May 2013


Kilauea

Smithsonian Institution / US Geological Survey
Weekly Volcanic Activity Report, 1 May-7 May 2013
Managing Editor: Sally Sennert.

Please cite this report as:

Global Volcanism Program, 2013. Report on Kilauea (United States) (Sennert, S, ed.). Weekly Volcanic Activity Report, 1 May-7 May 2013. Smithsonian Institution and US Geological Survey.

Weekly Report (1 May-7 May 2013)

Kilauea

United States

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

All times are local (unless otherwise noted)


During 1-7 May HVO reported that the circulating lava lake occasionally rose and fell in the deep pit within Kilauea's Halema'uma'u Crater. The plume from the vent continued to deposit variable amounts of ash, spatter, and Pele's hair onto nearby areas.

At Pu'u 'O'o Crater, glow emanated from three spatter cones and a small lava pond on the E part of the crater floor. Small lava flows issued from the N spatter cone on 1 May and from the SW cone on 2 May. The lava pond overflowed during 3-4 and 6-7 May.

Peace Day activity, fed by lava tubes extending from Pu'u 'O'o, consisted of lava flows active above the pali SE of Pu'u 'O'o, on the pali, and on the coastal plain. Lava also entered the ocean in at least two locations spanning the National Park boundary. On 3 May a breakout on the top of the pali produced a lava flow that traveled down to the coastal plain in about 1 hour. Branches from the flow advanced during 4-6 May.

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)