Halema‘uma‘u lava lake, Kīlauea summit eruption Update ~ USGS:HVO

Update on Kilauea from USGS: Activity Summary:  Kīlauea volcano is erupting. As of this morning, October 19, 2021, lava continues to erupt from a single vent in the western wall of Halemaʻumaʻu crater. All lava activity is confined within Halemaʻumaʻu crater in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Seismicity and volcanic gas emission rates remain elevated. Summit Observations: Sulfur dioxide (SO2) emission rates remain high, with a preliminary emission rate for October 17, 2021 of approximately 2,700 tonnes per day. Summit tilt was slightly deflationary over the past 24 hours. Halemaʻumaʻu Lava Lake Observations: Lava continues to erupt from a single vent in the western wall of Halemaʻumaʻu crater. The western end of the lake showed a maximum elevation of approximately 789 meters (2589 ft) above sea level when measured by field crews on October 18, which is a 1 meter (3 ft) increase over the past day and a total increase of about 46 meters (151 ft) since lava emerged on September 29. The total erupted volume since the beginning of the eruption was estimated to be about 15.9 million cubic meters (4.2 billion gallons) on October 8. The western vent had consistent fountain heights up to 5 m (16 ft) with occasional bursts up to 15 m (49 ft) observed by field crews on October 18. The fountain has built a spatter cone with an opening facing east from which lava is flowing into the lake. The central island and several of the smaller eastern islets from the 2020 lava lake are still above the lake surface along with an island of the 2020 western vent rampart in the northwest part of the lake. The lava lake is not level across its surface due to the location of the vent in the western end. Areas closer to the vent are about 4-5 meters (13-16 ft) higher in elevation compared to the north and south part of the lake and 12 meters (39 ft) higher than the east end of the lava lake. Lava surface activity such as crustal foundering is seen on the western end of the lake and north and south of the central island but is no longer observed on the east end of the lake. East Rift Zone Observations: No unusual activity has been noted in the Kīlauea East Rift Zone. Ground deformation motion suggests that the upper East Rift Zone—between the summit and Puʻuʻōʻo—has been steadily refilling with magma over the past year. SO2 and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) emissions from Puʻuʻōʻō were below instrumental detection levels when last measured on January 7, 2021. Additional hazards include Pele's hair and other lightweight volcanic glass fragments from the lava fountains that will fall downwind of the fissure vents and dust the ground within a few hundred meters (yards) of the vent (s). Strong winds may waft lighter particles to greater distances. Residents should minimize exposure to these volcanic particles, which can cause skin and eye irritation.  Other significant hazards also 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 Kīlauea caldera 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  Please see the Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park website for visitor information: https://www.nps.gov/havo/index.htm. Visitors to Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park should note that under southerly (non-trade) wind conditions, there is potential for a dusting of powdery to gritty ash composed of volcanic glass and rock fragments. These ashfalls represent a minor hazard, but visitors should be aware that dustings of ash at areas around the Kīlauea summit are possible.  The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) continues to closely monitor Kīlauea Volcano. Map Descriptions [1] "This detailed thermal map of the Halema‘uma‘u lava lake is a zoomed-in version of the broader map above, constructed from imagery collected during a helicopter overflight on October 15, 2021, at approximately 7:30 a.m. HST. The scale of the thermal map ranges from blue to red, with blue colors indicative of cooler temperatures and red colors indicative of warmer temperatures. The only remaining active eruptive vent at this time is the west vent; several hotspots in the southern part of the lava lake correspond with short lava cascades between the higher western half and lower eastern half of the lake. USGS map by M. Patrick." [2] "A helicopter overflight on October 15, 2021, at approximately 7:30 a.m. HST allowed for aerial visual and thermal imagery to be collected of Halema‘uma‘u crater at the summit of Kīlauea. The scale of the thermal map ranges from blue to red, with blue colors indicative of cooler temperatures and red colors indicative of warmer temperatures. The dimensions of the new lava lake have not changed drastically since the previous overflight on October 8, 2021—1020 m (0.6 mile) along the east-west axis and 725 m (0.5 mile) along the north-south axis. The estimated area of the lake is about 55 hectares (137 acres). USGS map by M. Patrick."