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    All About Hawai'i Volcanoes and Earthquakes
    The Big Island of Hawai'i is composed of five volcanoes... Kohala, Mauna Kea, Hualālai, Mauna Loa, and Kilauea.

    Hualālai and Mauna Loa are expected to erupt again. Mauna Kea can still be active though there are no current indications. The current active volcano is Kilauea which has been spewing forth lava pretty much nonstop since it began - and is among the worlds most active volcanoes.

    Currently lava comes out at the Pu'u 'O'o vent inside the Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park. Depending on conditions the lava is quite often accessible and offers visitors an experience of a lifetime.

    Lava flowing from Pu'u 'O'o normally flows through lava tubes towards the ocean 6 miles away. About two miles before the ocean the lava encounters a 1,200 foot cliff which is flows over, and then two to three miles of coastal flats until it pours into the ocean. Often the lava is visible on the Pali (cliff), on the coastal flats, and at the ocean entry.

    In the huge Kilauea Summit caldera itself site Halema'uma'u Crater. On March 19, 2008, a vent opened in the crater causing a portion of Crater Rim Drive to be closed. The vent is still open but lava continues to remain below the surface of the vent.

    We have much to say about the volcano and the lava - this page lays out the various sections that you can visit.

    Be sure to read the section on Cautions and Warnings as it contains very important information about volcano safety.

    Cautions & Warnings
    Current Activity
    Earthquake Info
    Finding Hot Lava
    Cooking In Lava
    Fun With Lava
    Types Of Lava
    Lava Photo Gallery
    Pu'u 'O'o History


    Current Volcanic Activity

    The USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory located in the Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park provides a daily update of the eruption activity at Pu'u 'O'o and down on the coastal flats. This is a good place to check to see what is currently going on.

    We extract the daily report from USGS and have it for you below along with some of the most recent USGS pictures of the flow. Please visit the USGS website for more details and photographs.

    Alert Level: ADVISORY, Color Code: YELLOW 2024-12-03 22:08:05 UTC

    HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY WEEKLY UPDATE
    U.S. Geological Survey
    Tuesday, December 3, 2024, 12:08 PM HST (Tuesday, December 3, 2024, 22:08 UTC)


    KILAUEA (VNUM #332010)
    19°25'16" N 155°17'13" W, Summit Elevation 4091 ft (1247 m)
    Current Volcano Alert Level: ADVISORY
    Current Aviation Color Code: YELLOW

    Summit Observations:  Earthquake activity at Kīlauea's summit region has increased in the past week, going from approximately 10 located earthquakes per day to 20 per day. Short-lived flurries of small earthquakes, with rates of about 6 events per hour, were observed on November 29 and December 3. Activity has generally clustered within Kaluapele and the south caldera region. Overall, there were approximately 75 earthquakes at the summit, most below magnitude-2.1. Summit tiltmeters and GPS stations have recorded steady inflation in the summit and south caldera regions. This inflation is also seen in recent InSAR measurements from satellite observation. The most recent sulfur dioxide (SO2) emission rate measurement from the summit was approximately 68 +/- 24 tonnes per day on October 17, a value representative of noneruptive conditions at Kīlauea.

    Rift Zone Observations:  The upper Southwest Rift Zone has seen a minor increase in seismicity, with approximately 25 located earthquakes below magnitude-2.0, most of which occurred over the past two days. Shallow earthquake counts in the upper East Rift Zone (ERZ) have increased over the past week, averaging between 25-60 located earthquakes per day, most of which were below magnitude-2.5. Activity in the middle ERZ was similar to the previous week, with approximately 75 located earthquakes, between Makaopuhi and Puʻuʻōʻō, all below magnitude-2.0. Deformation in the ERZ remains steady.

    Analysis: The increased rates of seismicity and ground deformation observed over the past week indicate a higher level of unrest at Kīlauea's summit region compared to previous weeks. Seismic activity reflects ongoing inflation as magma accumulates within the volcano. No unusual activity has been noted east of Puʻuʻōʻō, along Kīlauea’s lower East Rift Zone. The most recent eruption at Kīlauea occurred near Nāpau Crater within Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park from September 15–20, 2024. More information on the eruption is available on the USGS website: Eruption on Kīlauea middle East Rift Zone | U.S. Geological Survey (usgs.gov). A summary of the eruption is also available in this “Volcano Watch” article: Volcano Watch — A New Kīlauea Eruption | U.S. Geological Survey (usgs.gov).

    Hazards:  Near the recent middle East Rift Zone eruption site, minor to severe ground fractures and subsidence features may continue to widen and offset, may have unstable overhanging edges, and should be avoided. Hazards associated with the recent lava flows include glassy (sharp) surfaces that can cause serious abrasions and lacerations upon contact with unprotected or exposed skin; uneven and rough terrain that can lead to falls and other injuries; or locally elevated levels of volcanic gases that can lead to breathing difficulty.

    Hazards remain around Kīlauea caldera from Halemaʻumaʻu crater wall instability, ground cracking, and rockfalls that can be enhanced by earthquakes within the area closed to the public. This underscores the extremely hazardous nature of the rim surrounding Halemaʻumaʻu crater, an area that has been closed to the public since early 2008.

    For discussion of Kīlauea hazards, please see: https://www.usgs.gov/observatories/hawaiian-volcano-observatory/hazards.

    Updates:  HVO will issue weekly Kīlauea updates on Tuesdays until further notice. Additional messages will be issued as needed. HVO continues to closely monitor Kīlauea and is in contact with Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park and the Hawai‘i County Civil Defense Agency.  Should volcanic activity change significantly, a Volcanic Activity Notice will be issued. Please see the Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park website for visitor information: https://www.nps.gov/havo/index.htm.



    More Information:
    Kīlauea activity summary also available by phone: (808) 967-8862
    Kīlauea webcam images: https://www.usgs.gov/volcanoes/kilauea/webcams
    Kīlauea photos/video: https://www.usgs.gov/volcanoes/kilauea/photo-video-chronology
    Kīlauea lava-flow maps: https://www.usgs.gov/volcanoes/kilauea/maps
    Kīlauea FAQs: https://www.usgs.gov/volcanoes/kilauea/faqs



    The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory is one of five volcano observatories within the U.S. Geological Survey and is responsible for monitoring volcanoes and earthquakes in Hawaiʻi and American Samoa.



    CONTACT INFORMATION:

    askHVO@usgs.gov



     



    Volcano Books and Videos

    coverBook: Chasing Lava: A Geologist's Adventures at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory
    coverBook: Hawai'i's Volcanos: Legends and Facts
    coverBook: Hawai'i Volcano Watch: A Pictorial History, 1779-1991
    coverBook: Mauna Loa: World's Largest Active Volcano
    coverBook: Hawai'i's Kilauea Volcano: The Flow to the Sea
    coverVideo: Volcano - Fountains of Fire
    coverVideo: Lava Flows and Lava Tubes
    coverVideo: 2003 Eruption Update: A Firsthand Account of the Current Eruption of Kilauea Volcano
    coverVideo: 2004 Eruption Update: A Firsthand Account of the Current Eruption of Kilauea Volcano

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