EPISODES 26 and 27

"Episode 26 occurred 2 November between about 1140 and 1634. This episode of high fountaining from the Pu'u O vent lasted only 5 hours, making it the shortest episode in 1983-84 eruption sequence. Lava exited through the N spillway of the cone and fanned out into broad aa flows that extended a maximum of 2.2 km NE and ESE from the vent. During the 17-day repose period following episode 26 there was little activity at the vent, unlike the period between episodes 25 and 26. Episode 27 began 20 November at 0005 and lasted 10 hours. High fountains produced aa flows extending 3.5 km SE.

"Because poor weather hampered efforts to obtain aerial photographs, an accurate map of episode 26 flows was not completed before the flows were overrun by lava of episode 27 (figure 30). The estimated volume of lava from the two episodes combined is approximately 16 x 10⁶ m³. The summit of Pu'u O, which increased in height by 10 m in November, was 886 m above sea level and 167 m above the pre-1983 surface after episode 27.

Deformation. "Summit subsidence (recorded by the Uwekahuna tiltmeter) associated with episode 26 began at 1100 on 2 November. The net E-W tilt change related to the subsidence was 7.5 µrad; more than half of the tilt change occurred after the end of episode 26. During the next 17 days, the summit tilt regained 7.7 µrad. Subsidence accompanying episode 27 started at about 0030 on 20 November and continued until 1630, resulting in a net tilt change of 12.3 µrad. By the end of the month, the summit tilt had recovered 8 µrad.

Seismicity. "Shallow seismic events correlated with the continuing volcanic activity on the middle E rift zone. Strong harmonic tremor was recorded during major outpourings of lava, and low-level tremor and numerous tiny shocks occurred near the active vent between eruptive episodes.

"Harmonic tremor associated with episode 26 started with bursts of increasing amplitude at 1004 on 2 November and developed into sustained high-level tremor by 1140. Tremor remained strong for the duration of the eruptive episode. At 1634, after the cessation of high fountaining, tremor decreased rapidly. Low tremor and tiny microearthquakes resumed in the middle E rift zone during the period of relative quiescence following episode 26.

"At 2101 on 19 November, harmonic tremor began to increase intermittently at Pu'u O. The intensity of tremor reached about an order of magnitude above background at 0005 on 20 November, triggering the HVO tremor alarm system. For the next 10 hours, the seismic signal was sustained at the high level characteristic of periods of high fountaining and continuous lava production. Tremor decreased rapidly between 1008 and 1012, following the end of episode 27.

"Seismic activity assumed a typical interphase pattern for the remainder of the month. Low-level harmonic tremor continued in the middle E rift zone, varying from a pattern of constant amplitude to episodic short bursts indicative of gas-piston activity in the Pu'u O vent. The number of microearthquakes was generally below average in the summit region and above average in the E rift zone."

Addendum: Episode 28 began 3 December at about 1905. Vigorous fountaining fed lava flows to the N and SE during the 14-hour episode, which ended about 0941 the next morning.

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.

Information Contacts: G. Ulrich, A. Okamura, R. Koyanagi, and C. Heliker, HVO.