Logo link to homepage

Report on Kilauea (United States) — 16 August-22 August 2017


Kilauea

Smithsonian Institution / US Geological Survey
Weekly Volcanic Activity Report, 16 August-22 August 2017
Managing Editor: Sally Sennert.

Please cite this report as:

Global Volcanism Program, 2017. Report on Kilauea (United States) (Sennert, S, ed.). Weekly Volcanic Activity Report, 16 August-22 August 2017. Smithsonian Institution and US Geological Survey.

Weekly Report (16 August-22 August 2017)

Kilauea

United States

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

All times are local (unless otherwise noted)


During 16-22 August HVO reported that the lava lake continued to rise, fall, and spatter in Kilauea’s Overlook crater. Webcams recorded incandescence from long-active sources within Pu'u 'O'o Crater. The 61G lava flow, originating from a vent on Pu'u 'O'o Crater's E flank, continued to enter the ocean at Kamokuna. A breakout 120 m up-slope of the ocean entry began at 0410 on 19 August and lasted about 9.5 hours; it produced a lava fall over the sea cliff W of the ramp and a small ‘a’a flow on the W portion of the delta. At 2135 a large littoral explosion occurred near the front of the delta, producing spatter that was ejected higher than the sea cliff (about 28 m high). Another smaller explosion was observed five minutes later. HVO scientists documented ongoing littoral explosions on 21 August, as well as continued widening of the cracks running parallel to the coastline.

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)