Weekly Quick Update: Kīlauea Still Swelling
12:15 AM · Apr 22, 2023Magma continues to enter Kīlauea's shallow system, causing the ground surface to expand and keeping the possibility of further intrusion, resumption, or a new eruption around the summit. There is no indication of magma movement outside the summit, and no heightened concerns for local communities at the moment. Similarly, there are no notable changes on Maunaloa, and no increased concerns. In the week since the flurry of earthquakes beneath Halema'uma'u, seismic activity has remained somewhat elevated around Kīlauea's summit, with three out of the last four days experiencing over 80 events. Though not exceptional, these daily counts are higher than in the previous month, leading the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory to issue a Status Report yesterday and resume daily Kīlauea updates. Ground tilt has been gradually increasing since last week's peak, despite being interrupted by deflation-inflation cycles and following a potential intrusion offset from April 10-11. GPS stations around the summit have started rising again and moving away from the swelling source beneath Halemaʻumaʻu crater. Gas emissions remain at a low background level of 110 tons of SO2 per day, limiting the vog impact on nearby communities, and suggesting that magma has not yet reached the shallowest parts of the volcano. https://youtu.be/tKl7iXNQMwA