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Report on Kilauea (United States) — 27 August-2 September 2014


Kilauea

Smithsonian Institution / US Geological Survey
Weekly Volcanic Activity Report, 27 August-2 September 2014
Managing Editor: Sally Sennert.

Please cite this report as:

Global Volcanism Program, 2014. Report on Kilauea (United States) (Sennert, S, ed.). Weekly Volcanic Activity Report, 27 August-2 September 2014. Smithsonian Institution and US Geological Survey.

Weekly Report (27 August-2 September 2014)

Kilauea

United States

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

All times are local (unless otherwise noted)


During 27 August-2 September HVO reported that the circulating lava lake occasionally rose and fell in the deep pit within Kilauea's Halema'uma'u Crater. Gas emissions remained elevated. The plume from the vent continued to deposit variable amounts of ash, spatter, and Pele's hair onto nearby areas; smaller particles may have been dropped several kilometers away.

During 27 August-2 September glow was visible overnight above several outgassing openings in Pu`u `O`o's crater floor. On 28 August there was a brief reduction in surface activity. On 1 September aerial views showed small lava ponds within the NE, SE, and N pits within the crater, and a crusted pond surface in the SE pit. The June 27th lava flow remained active. On 1 September active lava was 12.6 km from the vent, and about 1.9 km from the eastern boundary of the Wao Kele o Puna Forest Reserve. Lava a few hundred meters behind the front had flowed into a large ground crack and disappeared from view; a line of steam from the crack extended E. The most distant steaming along the crack was 12.8 km from the vent and 1.7 km from the Forest Reserve boundary. Small breakouts were active closer to Pu`u `O`o, about midway along the length of the June 27th flow.

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)