Kīlauea - More Cycles & 2018 Research

For another week, Kīlauea's summit eruption was mostly confined to its persistent lava lake, which continues steadily circulating even as its level fluctuates lower and higher; one pulse of ooze-up flows emerged over the weekend near the perimeter of the hardened crater floor. A third large deflation-inflation cycle is ongoing at the summit, dropping gas emissions and lava output once again. This means that the volcano has now been less pressurized at the surface for the majority of the past month, despite the deeper and longer-term continuing summit inflation — a minor change from the recent trend, but reflected as a small drop in the eruption rate. As vog remains the primary hazard for island residents from this eruption, the lower emissions have meant cleaner air, though volcanic pollution remains a chronic issue in certain downwind communities. Besides the gas, there is still no increased volcanic threat to people from the ongoing eruption. We first review the past week's monitoring data, webcams and images courtesy of the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, as always highlighting the graphics and discussing live viewer questions as we go. We show slightly building earthquake activity and small signals on Maunaloa volcano, as well as the almost-quenched small fire on its lower slopes within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. Our Community Corner reviews USGS flights over Kīlauea this month, HVNP public input forums, and the upcoming Experience Volcano festival. We then turn to this week's USGS Volcano Watch in which Rusty the Rooster makes an appearance on the topic of humor during crises, transitioning us into a 2018 eruption-focused research round-up. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgJ-NGD9ouU