(BIVN) – The eruption at the summit of Kīlauea is paused following Wednesday’s high lava fountaining episode 51.
The USGS Volcano Alert Level for Kīlauea is once again at ADVISORY and the Aviation Color Code is back to YELLOW.
Episode 51 ended at 4:46 p.m. HST on July 15, and the switch of ground deformation from deflation to inflation indicates another episode is likely. The USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory says more data are needed to determine the forecast.
From the USGS HVO update issued on Thursday:
Bright glow and flames were visible overnight from both the north and south vents in Halema’uma’u. Numerous bright, shifting incandescent spots were visible overnight from lava flows that erupted onto the floor of Halema’uma’u crater and the slopes of the active vents during episode 51. Strong glow was visible from cracks and around the edges of these flows and from overturns and breakouts that exposed still-molten lava. Slow movements from cooling lava flows and gravity induced slumps on the vents are expected to continue in the coming days and nights. Degassing plumes from both vents are being blown toward the southwest this morning.
Low-frequency seismic pulsing began with the cessation of episode 51 and continues this morning, which is typical during the onset of pauses between eruptive episodes. There were two shallow earthquakes within Kaluapele (Kīlauea caldera) in the past 24 hours, the largest of which was a M2.0 beneath the southeast corner of Halemaʻumaʻu.
Kīlauea summit deflation totaled 14.7 microradians during episode 51. Once the episode ended, inflation resumed and has since recovered 2.2 microradians of tilt at the summit tiltmeter at Uēkahuna (UWD).
The sulfur dioxide (SO2) emission rate from the summit is likely now varying within a typical range of 1,000 to 5,000 tonnes per day.
