(BIVN) – Episode 35 of the ongoing Kīlauea summit eruption ended abruptly at 3:32 a.m. HST on Saturday morning, October 18, after lava fountains reached record heights for the current eruption.
The episode once again featured dual lava fountains, and lasted 7.5 hours in duration. During that time, the south vent fountain reached nearly 1,500 feet (460 meters) high, while north vent fountains got up to 1,100 feet (330 meters) high. “These would be the highest single fountain and highest pair of fountains seen during this eruption,” the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory wrote.
Episode 35 produced an estimated 13 million cubic yards (10 million cubic meters) of lava. Observatory scientists say the combined average eruption rate was over 500 cubic yards per second (400 cubic meters per second) from the dual fountains. Lava flows covered about two thirds of Halemaʻumaʻu crater floor.
At the height of the episode, the Hawaiʻi County Civil Defense issued an alert message, warning residents that “elevated gas levels and tephra is occurring in the area and downwind of the eruption,” and suggesting they avoid the area if they are “sensitive to respiratory condition.”
Summit ground deformation apparently switched from deflation to inflation as Episode 35 ended, suggesting magma is recharging beneath the surface and another episode could occur in the coming weeks.
This story will be updated with additional information from the USGS HVO after its daily Kīlauea status update is published.
by Big Island Video News8:32 am
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STORY SUMMARY
HAWAIʻI VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK - Episode 35 of the ongoing Halemaʻumaʻu eruption ended abruptly early Saturday morning, after 7.5 hours of continuous fountaining.