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Scientists continue to monitor Kilauea activity

By Courtesy U.S. Geological Survey

Dec. 23, 2020

Hawaii PhotosVolcanoes

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Scientists continue to monitor the ongoing eruption in the Kilauea volcano's summit caldera. This photo, from the south rim of Halemaumau crater and looking north, shows the volcanic gas plume heading west.
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On the rim of Halemaumau crater, Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists measure gas concentrations from the ongoing Kilauea Volcano summit eruption using a FTIR spectrometer. The sulfur-dioxide (SO2) rich eruption plume also contains water vapor, carbon dioxide, and halogen gases such as HCl and HF. Lightweight pieces of volcanic glass, such as Pele's hair and tears, are also carried downwind in the plume.
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As of Wednesday morning, Hawaiian Volcano Observatory field crews noted that the Kilauea summit lava lake surface is now 464 meters (1522 feet) below the crater rim observation site, indicating that the lake has filled 156 meters (515 feet) of the bottom of Halemaumau crater. This compares to a measurement just before 5 am on Tuesday, when the lake surface was 487 m (1598 ft) below the crater rim observation site, indicating that the lake rose 23 meters (75 feet) in just over 24 hours. The current depth is more than triple the depth of the water lake that was in the crater until Sunday evening when it was vaporized. Fountaining continues at two locations, more vigorously at eastern vent, and both vents continue to feed the growing lava lake.
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A helicopter overflight yesterday on Tuesday morning allowed for aerial visual and thermal imagery to be collected, which was used to map the area of Kilauea's growing summit lava lake in Halemaumau crater.
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Aerial imagery collected during a USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory overflight on Tuesday morning shows the plume from the ongoing eruption rising above the Kilauea's summit.
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Hawaiian Volcano Observatory gas scientists use a FTIR spectrometer on the rim of Halemaumau crater on Monday morning. The FTIR measures the composition of the gases being emitted during Kilauea volcano's ongoing summit eruption by measuring how the plume absorbs infrared energy. The plume being generate by the ongoing eruption is sulfur-dioxide (SO2) rich, but also contains water vapor, carbon dioxide, and halogen gasses such as HCl and HF.
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Aerial imagery collected during a USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory overflight on Tuesday morning shows the the two active fissures in Kilauea's ongoing summit eruption.
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Aerial imagery collected during a USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory overflight on Tuesday morning shows the western, weaker of the two active fissures in Kilauea's ongoing summit eruption.
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As of about 4:45 a.m. Tuesday, HVO field crews noted that the lava lake rose 3 meters in 3.5 hours. The lake surface is now 487 meters (1598 feet) below the crater rim observation site, indicating that the lake has filled 134 meters (440 feet) of the bottom of Halemaumau crater. This is more than double the depth of the water lake that was in the crater until Sunday evening of Dec. 20 when it was vaporized.

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