Kīlauea Weekly Report: July 30, 2021: Consistent Filling Underground Persists

As July comes to an end, Kīlauea’s recent inflationary pattern continues, with ongoing seismicity slightly elevated as the volcano continues to slowly swell without significant changes near the surface. USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory tilt and GPS monitors continue to show a modest, consistent rise with only one deflation-inflation event in the past two weeks, and while the most recent gas measurement of ~85 tonnes per day on July 28 is slightly up, it still falls within the range of the elevated background at the summit, as documented for similar non-eruptive intervals. The crust of the inactive lava lake continues to settle, often slowly but occasionally more quickly as it continues to adjust and cool over the still-liquid lava below. HVO scientists have been surveying the inactive lava lake, mapping gas emissions on the down-dropped portion of the caldera floor, maintaining web-cams, and conducting water table measurements at the Keller Well as shared in images this past week. Within the past month, a handful of deeper earthquakes around and to the south of the summit fall into a root region of the magma system in the 15-25 mi (25-40 km) range, with the largest a magnitude 3.4 on July 21 at a depth of 15.5 mi (25 km). Closer to the surface, the extended reservoir spanning the summit region and the Upper East Rift / East Rift Connector continues to quake at an elevated rate, and to a lesser degree along with the East Rift as far as Puʻuʻōʻō and a significant portion of the south flank, which is sliding to accommodate expansion of the summit and rift as usual. Earthquake rates are relatively steady, and while elevated are still below the levels expected in the short-term build-up to an eruption. While it’s only a matter of time until Kīlauea’s next breakout of lava, there are still no signs of short-term change or resumption of the eruption, while the long-term filling trend persists. #Kilauea2021 Join our weekly live video review of Kīlauea and Maunaloa volcanoes, at 5pm Hawaiʻi time Thursdays! To support our productions please like, share and subscribe! Mahalo!