By David Corrigan and Stephanie Salazar

[Video courtesy USGS-Hawaiian Volcano Observatory]

HAWAII VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK, Hawaii: January is Volcano Awareness Month on Hawaii Island and 2012 also marks the 100th anniversary of the U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.

So why not share some of the latest mesmerizing lava lake video, from the fiery pit of Halemau’ma’u on the summit of Kilauea.

This footage shows vigorous spattering along the south margin of the Halema`uma`u lava lake. Lava is upwelling in the northern portion of the lake which is out of view, and slowly migrates to this southern margin where it sinks back into the conduit.

According to the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory’s Kilauea status report for Thursday the spattering sink on the southeastern edge of lake continued building a small spatter rampart and feeding very small lava flows on the inner ledge. The lava level is estimated to be 260 feet below the floor of Halema`uma`u Crater.

The HVO also says the most recent sulfur dioxide emission rate measurement was 1,500 tonnes per day on January 22… new measurements must await the return of moderate trade winds, scientists say.

The following is a Volcano Watch article courtesy the U.S. Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory:

With the 100th anniversary of the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory fast approaching, many scientists at the observatory are thinking about how the current activity compares with what the first scientists at HVO were observing in the early 1900s.

Perhaps most notable is the Halema`uma`u lava lake, highly active today, just as it was a hundred years ago. But how different is the current lava lake in Halema`uma`u from the earlier lakes?

Through much of the 1800s and into the early 1900s, Halema`uma`u had an active lava lake. This was the lava lake visited and described so eloquently by Mark Twain and subsequently monitored by Frank Perret and Thomas Jaggar in the early days of HVO. During this phase of continuous activity, lava drained from Halema`uma`u, triggering explosions in 1924.

In 2008, a new vent opened in Halema`uma`u and the current eruption began. Now, a lava lake resides about 100 m (330 ft) deep within the vent and is continuously churning away.

Let’s start the comparison with the basic geometry of the vents. In the early 1900s, the lava lake was in a relatively wide crater (diameter of 400 m, or 1,300 ft), easily seen and even approached by ladder and ledges. Today, the lava lake resides in a much narrower (150 m, or 490 ft wide) pit and is rarely shallow enough for good, extended viewing from the crater’s rim.

The geometry of the lake itself is also much different. The current lava lake normally consists of a single, nearly circular body of lava, with one primary flow direction. The lava lake in the early 1900s, however, was often much more complex, with subordinate ponds, islands, and narrow channels feeding into embayments.

Lava level is another important comparison. In the early 1900s, it fluctuated over a wide range but, overall, was about 100-150 m (330-490 ft) higher than it is today. In 1919, for instance, lava spilled out of the crater and covered much of the caldera floor.

Lava level fluctuations are also common. Today we see long-term (days-to-weeks) fluctuations due to changes in the east rift zone eruption. For example, the opening of the Kamoamoa vents in March 2011 briefly drained the Halema`uma`u lava lake. In the early 1900s, the lava level also fluctuated due to activity elsewhere on the volcano.

The current lava lake activity has been accompanied by a series of small explosive events. There is no record of explosive activity within the Halema`uma`u lava lake prior to the 1924 explosions.

Gas emission is something that the current and old lava lakes share. Photos from the early 1900s show the same robust white plume that we see today, carried by the trade winds to the southwest. A visitor in the 1800s described “suffocating fumes of sulphuric acid gas.” Presumably, vog was a problem in west Hawai`i in the past, as well.

What can we learn from these comparisons? The complex geometry of the early lava lake may simply be due to its long history of activity, compared to the present lake, with decades to build up and modify the vent area. The lower lava level today can be attributed to the long-lived eruption on the east rift zone that is continuously tapping the summit magma chamber. That both the new and old lava lakes experience fluctuations correlated with rift activity reinforces the notion that Halema`uma`u’s lava lake is a sensitive pressure gauge of the summit magma chamber.

The lack of explosions in the early lake is probably due to the absence of towering, overhanging rock walls—as there are today—that could collapse into the lake. The recent explosions, we believe, are due to collapses of the vent wall impacting the lake surface and triggering violent degassing.

The emission of copious amounts of gas by lava lakes, past and present, is easy to understand. Continuously active lava lakes are sustained by a process called magmatic convection, which is driven by the persistent supply of gas-rich magma from depth.

As we approach HVO’s 100 year anniversary, Halema`uma`u reminds us that scientists have been perched on the caldera rim, observing and pondering the mysteries of Kilauea’s activity, for over a century.

Photo caption: Photo of the lava lake within the vent inset within the east wall and floor of Halema`uma`u Crater on March 3, 2011, just days before the Kamoamoa fissure eruption caused the lake level to drop much deeper and out of sight.

Kilauea activity update

A lava lake was present within the Halema`uma`u Overlook vent over the past week, resulting in night-time glow that was visible from the Jaggar Museum overlook. The lake, which is about 100 m (330 ft) below the floor of Halema`uma`u and visible by Webcam, rose and fell slightly during the week in response to back-to-back deflation-inflation cycles.

Eruptive activity on Kilauea’s east rift zone was restricted to surface flows about 4.1 km (2.5 miles) east-southeast of Pu`u `O`o. These flows travel through a lava tube that is fed by the September 21 fissure on the upper east flank of the Pu`u `O`o cone.

Two earthquakes beneath Hawai`i Island were reported felt this past week. A magnitude-2.6 earthquake occurred at 4:34 p.m. HST on Saturday, November 5, 2011, and was located 9 km (6 mi) east of Waiki`i at a depth of 21 km (13 mi). A magnitude-3.9 earthquake occurred at 1:46 a.m. Monday, November 7, and was located 6 km (4 mi) east of `Opihikao at a depth of 45 km (28 mi).

Visit the HVO Web site (http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov) for detailed Kilauea and Mauna Loa activity updates, recent volcano photos, recent earthquakes, and more; call (808) 967-8862 for a Kilauea summary; email questions to askHVO@usgs.gov.

Volcano Watch is a weekly article and activity update written by scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.

Video courtesy USGS – Hawaiian Volcano Observatory

Its easy to forget about all the incredible changes at Kilauea Volcano on Hawaii Island when there is a catastrophic tsunami threatening the Pacific.

As the eyes of the world watched the surging waters around Hawaii following the 8.9 earthquake in Japan, attention was diverted from last week’s well documented fissure eruption on Kilauea’s middle east rift zone. The activity had slowed down somewhat from when it first burst forth from the earth on March 5th, so Pele was not competing for anyone’s attention. Still, with all the helicopter shots and time lapse images, there was one last video to be unveiled: the draining of lava from the Halema’uma’u summit vent.

The lava lake at Halema’uma’u had been thrilling scientists and visitors with its steady creep towards what many thought might be an eventual overflow into the Kilauea caldera. But with the deflation associated with the fissure eruption, the lake was sucked back into the deep vent cavity over the course of days.

According to the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, this video shows, “a sequence taken from a thermal camera looking into the Halema`uma`u vent cavity between March 5 and 7. Tremor and deflation began at about 1:42pm on March 5, and this was shortly followed by draining of the Halema`uma`u lava lake. Before the draining, the lava lake was about 75 meters below the rim of the vent cavity, and about a day later the lava was about 220 meters deep, having retreated to the bottom of the vent cavity.”

Video courtesy USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory | Voice of Tim Bryan

These Hawaiian Volcano Observatory webcams captured some incredible video at the summit of Kilauea this past week.

Overnight on January 17, several large portions of the Halema’uma’u vent walls collapsed into the lava lake below, including a 40 foot wide piece of the crater floor. 

Geologists say the largest collapse caused a small explosion that littered the rim of Halema`uma`u crater directly above the vent with spatter. 

The circulation pattern of the lava lake was interrupted by the explosion, and only a few short-lived increases in the height of the lava surface have occurred since.

On January 21, another collapse was captured on film by a Webcam during daylight hours. This resulted in another explosive event, and this dark, dusty plume was sent billowing from the growing crater vent.

The video was posted to the HVO website at http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov

By Tim Bryan

Volcano Awareness Month continues with a special presentation on Kilauea’s ongoing  eruption Tuesday night at the National Park.

At the January 11th “After Dark at the Park”, Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologist Matt Patrick will present an overview of Kilauea’s summit eruption, including an in-depth survey of volcanic processes occurring within the vent.

In March 2008, a new volcanic vent opened in Halema`uma`u Crater at the summit of Kilauea.

Since then, the eruption has consisted of continuous degassing, occasional explosive events, ongoing ash emissions, and fluctuating lava pond activity in an open vent that has now grown to more than 430 feet wide. While the eruption fascinates visitors, it also provides an abundance of data and insights for scientists.

The event coincides with Hawaii Island’s second annual Volcano Awareness Month in January.

Visit the HVO Web site at http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/ or call (808) 967-8844 for more information.

September 27, 2010 – Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

Video courtesy USGS | voice of Tim Bryan

The United States Geological Survey has released more video of the lava lake deep within the vent cavity at Halema`uma`u crater.

The thermal camera captured the ongoing degassing and circulation of lava, and has been sped up four times the normal speed to show the movement of the lava surface.

Meanwhile, down on the coastal plain, the Puhi-o-Kalaikini ocean entry has been producing a moderate plum, and geologists report a that new lava breakout has been oozing its way east toward Kalapana Gardens subdivison, very slowly.

Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologists will be monitoring Kalapana to assess hazards posed by the advancing flow over the next several days.

In a caption published to accompany the image shown above, the USGS reports on its website:

The lava lake at Halema`uma`u has maintained the same basic geometry since February of this year. This thermal image was taken during a helicopter overflight, and shows the lava surface deep within the vent cavity. The lava surface is kidney-shaped and approximately 60 x 90 meters in size, and situated about 170 meters below the rim of the vent cavity. Lava upwells at the north margin of the lake (upper-right), and downwells at an area of vigorous spattering along the south margin (bright white area in lower-left).

Video courtesy USGS, voice of Tim Bryan

May 31, 2010 – Video by David Corrigan, voice of Tim Bryan

An update on recent DLNR land closures near the active Kalapana lava flow, and a look at the bright and bubbling Halemaumau crater on the summit of Kilauea.

Bright glow visible from overlook at night

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii - Video courtesy USGS

Another amazing view of Kilauea’s activity has been captured by scientists of the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.

Once again filmed using thermal imaging in order to peak through the plume of gas billowing from the Halema’uma’u vent, geologists have released a new look at the volcano: that of a churning cauldron of lava.

The USGS has been providing the public with lots of different videos of the lava lake inside the summit vent since the new eruption tore a hole in Halema’uma’u in 2008. The dramatic quality of the videos has increased over the months, thanks in part to the ever widening vent opening, which grows with every rock tumble and wall collapse.

About the latest video, according to the USGS:

The lava surface is about 70 meters (230 ft) wide, and remains about 200 meters (660 ft) below the cavity rim. The surface is mostly crusted, with a slow migration from north to south. Small spattering sources occasionally break through the thin crust. Just a few minutes after this video was taken, violent degassing and spattering ensued, disrupting the entire lava surface, and the lava level dropped about 20 meters (66 ft).

The HVO also reports that a the evening glow from the vent is especially bright lately, and is easily visible from the Jaggar Museum Overlook. The HVO says that at about noon on Sunday, the lava surface inside the floor of Halema`uma`u Crater, began “a sustained period of cyclic rising and falling, with cycles occurring every 10-20 minutes. The activity was accompanied by the usual bursts of seismic tremor and oscillatory ground tilt.”

Summit eruption: two years of good visuals, bad air quality

Video by David Corrigan  (and USGS) / Voice of Tim Bryan

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii - The current Kilauea eruption is now two years old.

On March 19, 2008, an explosion opened a new vent at the Halemaumau Overlook, and the summit of the active volcano has been releasing a steady gas plume ever since.

The vent cavity has grown considerably since it first opened, thanks to constant rim collapses and explosive events like this.

The opening is now big enough for geologists to get a regular look at a sloshing lava lake in the pit of the crater, whenever lava is visible.

This is the most recent image of the lava lake, taken with an infrared camera to see through the billowing plume.

The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory wrote about the anniversary in a recent “Volcano Watch” article:

This past Friday, March 19, marked the second anniversary of Kīlauea’s ongoing summit eruption in Halema`uma`u Crater. After 25 years without eruptive activity at Kīlauea’s summit, the current eruption surprised many when it blasted onto the scene two years ago.

The early morning vent-opening explosion that started the eruption scattered rocks up to a meter (yard) wide onto the rim of Halema`uma`u Crater. In the process, a glowing hole about 35 m (115 ft) wide was formed at the base of the southern wall of Halema`uma`u crater.

Over the following few weeks, the volcanic plume billowing from the vent carried tiny rock particles forming sandy black dunes that blanketed the ground downwind from the vent. Then, on April 9, 2008, part of the vent rim collapsed into the hole and initiated a small explosion that scattered more rocks and spatter onto the rim of Halema`uma`u.

While small collapses had been common since the vent opened, this was the first of dozens of large collapses that occurred as the vent evolved from a relatively small opening into what would eventually become a collapse crater about 130 m (427 ft) across. Each of these collapses was marked by a dusty brown plume that was distinctly different in appearance from the white, steam-rich gas plume that typically rose from the vent. Though most of the collapses were relatively benign, seven of them, including the April 9 event, initiated explosions that scattered rocks and spatter onto the rim of Halema`uma`u. These explosive eruptions all occurred within the first seven months of the eruption.

As the mouth of the vent widened, it began to chew its way into the floor of Halema`uma`u Crater. By early September 2008, the opening had grown large enough that Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) scientists were finally able to see through the more-dispersed gas plume to a spattering lava surface below. Occasional glimpses of lava continued until early December when, after nine months of near-continuous eruptive activity, a series of large collapses choked the vent with rubble from the vent rim and walls, extinguishing the glow and causing a pronounced decrease in gas levels and seismic tremor. There was discussion at the time about whether or not the eruption was over, but the debate ended when the glow, gas, and tremor returned in late January 2009.

The resumption in activity was accompanied by more collapses and more widening of the vent. This led to even better views, and the lava surface was commonly visible deep within the vent from March through June 2009. Scientists studying the vent were able to document vent processes at a level of detail never before achieved. It was during this period that accurate vent-dimension measurements finally revealed that the lava surface was nearly 200 m (656 ft) below the floor of Halema`uma`u, or 285 m (935 ft) below the crater’s rim.

The eruption changed again on June 30, when another series of collapses plugged the bottom of the vent. As before, with the lava surface buried beneath rubble, the glow disappeared, and the gas emissions and seismic tremor both decreased dramatically. As before, however, the debris choking the vent was slowly consumed by the lava below, and the eruption resumed in mid-August.

The second half of 2009 was much the same as the first half. At times, a ponded lava surface was visible deep within the vent, while, at other times, the lava was mostly hidden beneath a thick crust of chilled lava on the floor of the vent. One difference, however, was the addition of a high-resolution Webcam on the rim of Halema`umau to peer into the vent. This Webcam, with low-light capabilities, has vastly improved the monitoring of the vent while offering an outstanding view of eruptive activity to the public through HVO’s Web site (http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/hvo/cams/HMcam).

With 2010 fully upon us, activity at Kīlauea’s summit eruption continues to behave in what has become a fairly routine fashion. The lava surface is usually visible in the vent, though often only with a thermal camera. Small collapses still occasionally occur, and a gas plume continues to billow out and impact downwind communities with sulfur dioxide and acid particles. Despite the excitement that the summit eruption has provided, Big Islanders often long for a lasting improvement in air quality. For better or worse, we could be adjusting to what may be the new norm.

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii – The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory continues to monitor the activity at Kilauea’s Halema`uma`u vent, using a thermal camera perched on an overlook. 

The HVO says the active lava pond, about 40 yards across, is situated deep within the vent cavity, at a depth of about 200 yards. The lava surface consists of slowly migrating crustal plates, with a spattering source on the east margin of the pond. The lava surface is slightly deeper than its usual level, owing to deflation during the current deflation-inflation (DI) cycle.

 According to HVO, the above video shows lava in the vent upwelling at the northern margin of the pond (the upper margin in this view), which is ”slowly migrating south towards the bottom of the image, where it sinks out of view. The pond is about 50 yards wide. Small spattering sources appear and disappear occasionally. This video was taken with a thermal camera (white is hot, dark blue is cold), which is able to see through the thick fume. No views were possible with the naked eye today due to the fume, and only loud gas roaring sounds could be heard.”

Kilauea Volcano lava, courtesy USGS

Before the sinking, the lava surface had risen to a slightly higher level, according to the Volcano Watch article published recently. HVO scientists say that with the higher lava level, the lava surface was occasionally seen to cyclically rise and fall over periods of several minutes. 

Volcanic gas emissions remain elevated, resulting in high concentrations of sulfur dioxide downwind. The most recent sulfur dioxide emission rate measurement was 900 tonnes/day on March 5, 2010, still elevated above the 2003-2007 average of 140 tonnes/day. Small amounts of mostly ash-sized tephra were lifted out of the deep pit in ascending gases and deposited on nearby surfaces. 

Scientists say the magnitude-4.5 earthquakedeep beneath Mauna Kea last night did not affect the Kilauea eruption.

January 1, 2010 – Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii
VIDEO courtesy USGS

The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory has released what they are calling a “spectacular” movie clip of a a draining event in the lava pond within Kilauea’s Halema`uma`u vent.

The Big Island volcano has harbored a sloshing, bubbling lava pond in its summit vent for months.

According to the HVO, the video filmed on December 28 shows a lava column which “exhibited cycles of filling and draining of the vent cavity, with each cycle lasting a few minutes. As the pond drains, lava cascades into a small hole on the east side (right) of the cavity floor. Also, lava that was covering a large bench to the west of the main pond drains back, with large plates of crust sliding over the edge.”

In the daily volcano update, the HVO says a DI deflation started on December 29. At the summit, scientists report that lava receded deeper below the bottom of the deep pit inset within the crater floor but still provided weak glow from the pit overnight.

The video is released just as Hawaii Volcanoes National Park gears up to celebrate Volcano Awareness Month in January. The park, in cooperation with HVO, Hawaii County Civil Defense, and the University of Hawaii at Hilo, will sponsor various programs and activities to promote increased awareness of and respect for the volcanoes on the Big Island of Hawaii.