Maunaloa Earthquakes & Kīlauea Eruption Update

While Kīlauea's summit eruption continues steadily, neighboring Maunaloa volcano experienced a short swarm of 90 earthquakes on the evening of August 2nd before returning to background levels of activity. According to the USGS, “this activity is a relatively small increase in volcanic unrest and remains within the range of fluctuations observed over the past several years.” We review the seismicity, adding the context of historical patterns and theorized dynamics, and at the end of the broadcast we will replay the USGS presentation, “Mauna Loa: Are you ready for the next eruption?” by Frank Trusdell during this year's Volcano Awareness Month. On Kīlauea summit, excellent lava viewing continues, as does the persistent lava lake and the “ooze-up” style of eruptive activity within the crater's perimeter. Ground tilt cycles have shortened yet again, lessening the variations in lava level and gas emissions, which remain quite bothersome to affected downwind residents and occasionally to visitors within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. Overall, the crater continues to methodically fill with lava injected under the hardened crust, with no indication of magma movement outside of the summit and thus without any increased volcanic threat to people. As usual we review the latest monitoring data, media and webcam images courtesy of the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, highlighting the graphics and discussing live viewer questions as we go. We share views from Kupinaʻi Pali (aka Waldron's Ledge) in the park filmed by Two Pineapples as well as our own footage on back-to-back days, calendar updates for community events and input, the USGS weekly Volcano Watch article, and a peek back at the ending sequence of the 2018 eruption four years ago today. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFiA8eTiBq4