Recent Kilauea Status Reports, Updates, and Information Releases

HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY DAILY UPDATE
Wednesday, November 19, 2008 08:28 HST (Wednesday, November 19, 2008 18:28 UTC)

KILAUEA VOLCANO (CAVW#1302-01-)
19.42°N 155.29°W, Summit Elevation 4091 ft (1247 m)
Volcano Alert Level: WATCH
Aviation Color Code: ORANGE

This report on the status of Kilauea volcanic activity, in addition to maps, photos, and webcam images (available using the menu bar above), was prepared by the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO). Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park status can be found at http://www.nps.gov/havo/ or 985-6000. Hawai`i County Viewing Area status can be found at 961-8093.

Activity Summary for last 24 hours: No significant changes have occurred. Sulfur dioxide emission rates from the Halema`uma`u and the Pu`u `O`o vents remain high. Tephra production from the Halema`uma`u vent remains small. At the east rift eruption site, lava flows through tubes to the ocean; surface flows are active on the pali.

Last 24 hours at Kilauea summit: Fluctuating plume vigor, tremor and vent glow continue at the Halema`uma`u vent. Last night vent glow was variable but reached moderate levels for short periods, and the webcam registered the glow for the second night in the past month. This morning, winds are carrying the gas plume to the southwest over the Ka`u desert, as is usual.

Sulfur dioxide emission rates remain elevated and variable. The most recent average measurement was 750 tonnes/day on November 18, compared to the 2003-2007 average rate of 140 tonnes/day.

Variable but small amounts of tephra, mostly ash-sized spatter, continue to be produced and deposited downwind of the vent; Unusually strong winds canceled this morning's tephra collection.

The network of tiltmeters within the caldera recorded no significant changes. The GPS receiver networks (less sensitive than tiltmeters) continued to record weak contraction (barely 1 cm per month).

Seismic activity continued at low levels focused on the south caldera; tremor levels have again been variable over the last day, fluctuating between low and moderate values over minutes to tens of minutes; these changes were observed to correlate with plume vigor. Eleven earthquakes were located beneath Kilauea or nearby in the last day, including 8 at the summit and 2 on the south flank. The number of RB2S2BL earthquakes beneath the caldera remains at background values of about 20-30/day.

Last 24 hours at the middle east rift zone vents and flow field: Magma continues to degas through Pu`u `O`o Crater. The most recent sulfur dioxide emission rate measurement of 2,000 tonnes/day measured on November 7 is slightly higher than the 2003-2007 average of about 1,700 tonnes/day for this vent. No incandescence was observed within the crater overnight.

The tiltmeter on the north side of Pu`u `O`o recorded no significant changes over the last day. GPS stations spanning the crater (less sensitive than tiltmeters) recorded about 4 cm of contraction over the past 3 months. Seismic tremor levels near Pu`u `O`o and the TEB vent remain at low values.

Lava from the TEB vent and the rootless shield complex continues to flow through tubes to the ocean. Minor incandescence was observed from the TEB vent - this was the only incandescence seen overnight in the area from the east rift eruption site to the top of the pali. HVO geologists in the field yesterday mapped expansion of the TEB flow field on the coastal plain (see maps section), with active flows approximately 1 km (0.6 miles) south of the base of the pali.

Definitions of terms used in the update:

FLIR: Forward Looking InfraRed, a camera which directly images heat rather than visible light. If volcanic fume is not too rich in water vapor, a FLIR can see through it to image hot surfaces.

pali: Hawaiian word for cliff or steep incline. In the context of the TEB flow field, 'pali' usually refers to Pulama pali that bisects the abandoned Royal Gardens subdivision.

CD: Hawai`i County Civil Defense

DOH air quality monitoring: see Hawai`i State Department of Health Air Quality website http://hawaii.gov/doh/air-quality/index.html .

bomb: lava fragment ejected into the air while molten acquiring aerodynamic shapes in flight; the term is restricted to pieces larger than 6.4 cm (2.5 in.). See http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/Products/Pglossary/bomb.html

hybrid, or explosion, seismic signals: complex earthquakes that are a hybrid of different signals. They start as a high frequency earthquake, similar to typical rock-breaking or rock fall events, that transitions to very long, 20-30 second, period (VLP) oscillations that continue for several minutes. At HVO, we observed these signals with the four small Halema`uma`u explosive eruptions in March, April, and August 2008. Several more similar signals, some as strong as the explosion signals associated with the four explosive eruptions, have been recorded without obvious evidenceof surface eruption such as rock fragments or other debris.

MODIS satellite: a NASA satellite pair, Aqua and Terra, which passes over Hawai`i twice a day. During daylight hours, the images are taken at about 11 am and 2 pm H.s.t. This imagery can be viewed about 3-5 hours after acquisition at http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?subset=AERONET_Mauna_Loa.

GOES-WEST satellite: a geostationary NOAA satellite used most often for weather tracking. Images are typically acquired every 15 minutes. The loop http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/VAAC/kilauea/sloop-vis.html is posted by the Washington DC Volcanic Ash Advisory Center for the purpose of tracking emissions from Hawai`i volcanoes. The imagery automatically switches from infrared at night to visual during the day. Recently, it has been useful for tracking volcanic gas emissions from Halema`uma`u, Pu`u `O`o, and the Waikupanaha ocean entry during the day and hot lava flows at night.

Volcano Watch: weekly newspaper-like article written by HVO scientists on a volcano topic of interest. These articles are usually printed in the Sunday editions of the Hawai`i Island newspapers Hawaii Tribune Herald and West Hawaii Today. More than 800 of these articles have been written and are archived on the HVO website (menu at the bottom of the homepage hvo.wr.usgs.gov).

VLP seismic tremor: seismic tremor is continuous ground vibrations simultaneously at many different frequencies. VLP is a very long period or very low frequency component which, at the Halema`uma`u vent, has a period of 20-30 seconds or a frequency of 0.03-0.05 cycles per second (Hertz or Hz).

RB2S2BL earthquakes: earthquakes that were recorded but too small to be located. These quakes have magnitudes less than 1.7 and may only be recorded on one or two seismometers. Recording at a minimum of 4 seismometer sites is required to locate an earthquake.

wink: an abrupt shutting off of incandescence at a vent lasting for several minutes. At the Halema`uma`u vent, winks usually start with or immediately follow a small, local earthquake. The diminishment of incandescence is due to the plume changing from translucent to opaque with rock dust.

tonne: metric unit equal to 1,000 kilograms, 2,204.6 lbs, or 1.1 English tons.

microradian: a measure of angle equivalent to 0.000057 degrees.

ppm: parts-per-million; 10,000 ppm = 1 %.

littoral cone: usually small cones built near active ocean entries; the cones are constructed of tephra from steam explosions that are sometimes produced when 1,150 degree C lava enters the 25 degree C ocean.

incandescence: the production of visible light from a hot surface. The color of the light is related to the temperature of the surface. Some surfaces can display dull red incandescence at temperatures as low as 430 degrees Centigrade (806 degrees Fahrenheit). By contrast, molten lava displays bright orange to orange-yellow light from surfaces that are hotter than 900 degrees C (1,650 degrees F).

tephra: all material deposited by fallout from an eruption-related plume, regardless of size.

ash: tephra less than 2 mm (5/64 inches) in size.

TEB: Thanksgiving Eve Breakout, the designation used for lava flows that started with a breakout on November 21, 2007.

DI tilt event: DI is an abbreviation for 'deflation-inflation' and describes a volcanic event of uncertain significance. DI events are recorded by tiltmeters at Kilauea summit as an abrupt deflation of up to a few microradians in magnitude lasting several hours to 2-3 days followed by an abrupt inflation of approximately equal magnitude. The tilt events are usually accompanied by an increase in summit tremor during the deflation phase. A careful analysis of these events suggests that they may be related to changes in magma supply to a storage reservoir at less than 1 km depth, just east of Halema`uma`u crater. Usually, though not always, these changes propagate through the magma conduit from the summit to the eruption site, as many of the DI events at Kilauea summit are also recorded at a tiltmeter at Pu`u `O`o, delayed by 1-2 hours. DI events often correlate with lava pulses and/or pauses in the eruption at the Pu`u `O`o/July 21/TEB vents.


Maps, photos, webcam views, and other information about Kilauea Volcano are available at http://volcano.wr.usgs.gov/kilaueastatus.php. A daily update summary is available by phone at (808) 967-8862.

A map with details of earthquakes located within the past two weeks can be found at http://tux.wr.usgs.gov/

A definition of alert levels can be found at http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/2006/warnschemes.html

HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY DAILY UPDATE
Tuesday, November 18, 2008 07:35 HST (Tuesday, November 18, 2008 17:35 UTC)

KILAUEA VOLCANO (CAVW#1302-01-)
19.42°N 155.29°W, Summit Elevation 4091 ft (1247 m)
Volcano Alert Level: WATCH
Aviation Color Code: ORANGE

This report on the status of Kilauea volcanic activity, in addition to maps, photos, and webcam images (available using the menu bar above), was prepared by the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO). Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park status can be found at http://www.nps.gov/havo/ or 985-6000. Hawai`i County Viewing Area status can be found at 961-8093.

Activity Summary for last 24 hours: Inflation associated with Sunday's DI tilt event is waning; significant glow from the Halema`uma`u vent was observed overnight for the first time in a month. Sulfur dioxide emission rates from the Halema`uma`u and the Pu`u `O`o vents remain high. Tephra production from the Halema`uma`u vent remains small. At the east rift eruption site, lava flows through tubes to the ocean; surface flows are active on the pali.

Last 24 hours at Kilauea summit: Plume vigor yesterday fluctuated dramatically, with vigorous periods lasting several hours, interrupted by weak phases that could last tens of minutes to several hours. These changes in plume strength corresponded to fluctuations in tremor levels. Last night vent glow was variable but reached high levels for short periods, and the webcam registered the glow for the first time in about a month. This morning, winds are carrying the gas plume to the southwest over the Ka`u desert, as is usual.

Sulfur dioxide emission rates remain elevated and variable. The most recent average measurement was 800 tonnes/day on November 17, compared to the 2003-2007 average rate of 140 tonnes/day.

Variable but small amounts of tephra, mostly ash-sized spatter, continue to be produced and deposited downwind of the vent; This morning's collection yielded the highest daily amount since the Oct. 14 explosive eruption, and several spatter bits were up to 3 cm (1.2 in) in size.

The network of tiltmeters within the caldera recorded weak inflation following the main part of the DI event that began on Sunday (see graph in deformation section). The GPS receiver networks (less sensitive than tiltmeters) continued to record weak contraction (barely 1 cm per month).

Seismic activity continued at low levels focused on the south caldera; tremor levels have been variable over the last day, fluctuating between low and moderate values; these changes were observed to correlate with plume vigor. Nine earthquakes were located beneath Kilauea or nearby in the last day, including 3 at the summit and 3 on the south flank. The number of RB2S2BL earthquakes beneath the caldera remains at background values of about 20-30/day.

Last 24 hours at the middle east rift zone vents and flow field: Magma continues to degas through Pu`u `O`o Crater. The most recent sulfur dioxide emission rate measurement of 2,000 tonnes/day measured on November 7 is slightly higher than the 2003-2007 average of about 1,700 tonnes/day for this vent. No incandescence was observed within the crater overnight.

The tiltmeter on the north side of Pu`u `O`o recorded no significant changes over the last day, following the DI event. GPS stations spanning the crater (less sensitive than tiltmeters) recorded about 4 cm of contraction over the past 3 months. Seismic tremor levels near Pu`u `O`o and the TEB vent remain at low values.

Lava from the TEB vent and the rootless shield complex continues to flow through tubes to the ocean. Minor incandescence was observed from the TEB vent - this was the only incandescence seen overnight in the area from the east rift eruption site to the top of the pali. This morning CD officials report surface flows on the pali and continued activity at the ocean entry.

Definitions of terms used in the update:

FLIR: Forward Looking InfraRed, a camera which directly images heat rather than visible light. If volcanic fume is not too rich in water vapor, a FLIR can see through it to image hot surfaces.

pali: Hawaiian word for cliff or steep incline. In the context of the TEB flow field, 'pali' usually refers to Pulama pali that bisects the abandoned Royal Gardens subdivision.

CD: Hawai`i County Civil Defense

DOH air quality monitoring: see Hawai`i State Department of Health Air Quality website http://hawaii.gov/doh/air-quality/index.html .

bomb: lava fragment ejected into the air while molten acquiring aerodynamic shapes in flight; the term is restricted to pieces larger than 6.4 cm (2.5 in.). See http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/Products/Pglossary/bomb.html

hybrid, or explosion, seismic signals: complex earthquakes that are a hybrid of different signals. They start as a high frequency earthquake, similar to typical rock-breaking or rock fall events, that transitions to very long, 20-30 second, period (VLP) oscillations that continue for several minutes. At HVO, we observed these signals with the four small Halema`uma`u explosive eruptions in March, April, and August 2008. Several more similar signals, some as strong as the explosion signals associated with the four explosive eruptions, have been recorded without obvious evidenceof surface eruption such as rock fragments or other debris.

MODIS satellite: a NASA satellite pair, Aqua and Terra, which passes over Hawai`i twice a day. During daylight hours, the images are taken at about 11 am and 2 pm H.s.t. This imagery can be viewed about 3-5 hours after acquisition at http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?subset=AERONET_Mauna_Loa.

GOES-WEST satellite: a geostationary NOAA satellite used most often for weather tracking. Images are typically acquired every 15 minutes. The loop http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/VAAC/kilauea/sloop-vis.html is posted by the Washington DC Volcanic Ash Advisory Center for the purpose of tracking emissions from Hawai`i volcanoes. The imagery automatically switches from infrared at night to visual during the day. Recently, it has been useful for tracking volcanic gas emissions from Halema`uma`u, Pu`u `O`o, and the Waikupanaha ocean entry during the day and hot lava flows at night.

Volcano Watch: weekly newspaper-like article written by HVO scientists on a volcano topic of interest. These articles are usually printed in the Sunday editions of the Hawai`i Island newspapers Hawaii Tribune Herald and West Hawaii Today. More than 800 of these articles have been written and are archived on the HVO website (menu at the bottom of the homepage hvo.wr.usgs.gov).

VLP seismic tremor: seismic tremor is continuous ground vibrations simultaneously at many different frequencies. VLP is a very long period or very low frequency component which, at the Halema`uma`u vent, has a period of 20-30 seconds or a frequency of 0.03-0.05 cycles per second (Hertz or Hz).

RB2S2BL earthquakes: earthquakes that were recorded but too small to be located. These quakes have magnitudes less than 1.7 and may only be recorded on one or two seismometers. Recording at a minimum of 4 seismometer sites is required to locate an earthquake.

wink: an abrupt shutting off of incandescence at a vent lasting for several minutes. At the Halema`uma`u vent, winks usually start with or immediately follow a small, local earthquake. The diminishment of incandescence is due to the plume changing from translucent to opaque with rock dust.

tonne: metric unit equal to 1,000 kilograms, 2,204.6 lbs, or 1.1 English tons.

microradian: a measure of angle equivalent to 0.000057 degrees.

ppm: parts-per-million; 10,000 ppm = 1 %.

littoral cone: usually small cones built near active ocean entries; the cones are constructed of tephra from steam explosions that are sometimes produced when 1,150 degree C lava enters the 25 degree C ocean.

incandescence: the production of visible light from a hot surface. The color of the light is related to the temperature of the surface. Some surfaces can display dull red incandescence at temperatures as low as 430 degrees Centigrade (806 degrees Fahrenheit). By contrast, molten lava displays bright orange to orange-yellow light from surfaces that are hotter than 900 degrees C (1,650 degrees F).

tephra: all material deposited by fallout from an eruption-related plume, regardless of size.

ash: tephra less than 2 mm (5/64 inches) in size.

TEB: Thanksgiving Eve Breakout, the designation used for lava flows that started with a breakout on November 21, 2007.

DI tilt event: DI is an abbreviation for 'deflation-inflation' and describes a volcanic event of uncertain significance. DI events are recorded by tiltmeters at Kilauea summit as an abrupt deflation of up to a few microradians in magnitude lasting several hours to 2-3 days followed by an abrupt inflation of approximately equal magnitude. The tilt events are usually accompanied by an increase in summit tremor during the deflation phase. A careful analysis of these events suggests that they may be related to changes in magma supply to a storage reservoir at less than 1 km depth, just east of Halema`uma`u crater. Usually, though not always, these changes propagate through the magma conduit from the summit to the eruption site, as many of the DI events at Kilauea summit are also recorded at a tiltmeter at Pu`u `O`o, delayed by 1-2 hours. DI events often correlate with lava pulses and/or pauses in the eruption at the Pu`u `O`o/July 21/TEB vents.


Maps, photos, webcam views, and other information about Kilauea Volcano are available at http://volcano.wr.usgs.gov/kilaueastatus.php. A daily update summary is available by phone at (808) 967-8862.

A map with details of earthquakes located within the past two weeks can be found at http://tux.wr.usgs.gov/

A definition of alert levels can be found at http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/2006/warnschemes.html

HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY DAILY UPDATE
Monday, November 17, 2008 08:23 HST (Monday, November 17, 2008 18:23 UTC)

KILAUEA VOLCANO (CAVW#1302-01-)
19.42°N 155.29°W, Summit Elevation 4091 ft (1247 m)
Volcano Alert Level: WATCH
Aviation Color Code: ORANGE

This report on the status of Kilauea volcanic activity, in addition to maps, photos, and webcam images (available using the menu bar above), was prepared by the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO). Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park status can be found at http://www.nps.gov/havo/ or 985-6000. Hawai`i County Viewing Area status can be found at 961-8093.

Activity Summary for last 24 hours: A DI tilt event started at 1:15 pm yesterday and moved into the inflation phase of the cycle early this morning. Sulfur dioxide emission rates from the Halema`uma`u and the Pu`u `O`o vents remain high. Tephra production from the Halema`uma`u vent remains small. At the east rift eruption site, lava flows through tubes to the ocean; surface flows are active on the pali.

Last 24 hours at Kilauea summit: A brown plume was observed at 7:22 am yesterday, associated with a seismic event, and a hybrid seismic event last night at 6:46 pm was associated with a brief darkening of the vent. Last night the vent glow was again too weak to be recorded by the webcam. This morning, winds are carrying the gas plume to the southwest over the Ka`u desert, as is usual.

Sulfur dioxide emission rates remain elevated and variable. The most recent average measurement was 1,200 tonnes/day on November 14, compared to the 2003-2007 average rate of 140 tonnes/day.

Variable but small amounts of tephra, mostly ash-sized spatter, continue to be produced and deposited downwind of the vent; This morning's collection yielded several spatter bits up to 1 cm (0.4 in) in size.

The network of tiltmeters within the caldera recorded the start of the deflation phase of the DI tilt event at 1:15 pm yesterday, moving into inflation at 2:41 am today (see graph in deformation section). The GPS receiver networks (less sensitive than tiltmeters) continued to record weak contraction (barely 1 cm per month).

Seismic activity continued at low levels focused on the south caldera; tremor levels were moderate. Just five earthquakes were located beneath Kilauea or nearby in the last day, including 2 at the summit. The number of RB2S2BL earthquakes beneath the caldera remains at background values of about 20-30/day.

Last 24 hours at the middle east rift zone vents and flow field: Magma continues to degas through Pu`u `O`o Crater. The most recent sulfur dioxide emission rate measurement of 2,000 tonnes/day measured on November 7 is slightly higher than the 2003-2007 average of about 1,700 tonnes/day for this vent. No incandescence was observed within the crater overnight.

The tiltmeter on the north side of Pu`u `O`o recorded the start of the deflation phase of the DI event yesterday afternoon, which shifted to inflation at 3:47 am today (see graph in deformation section). GPS stations spanning the crater (less sensitive than tiltmeters) recorded about 4 cm of contraction over the past 3 months. Seismic tremor levels near Pu`u `O`o and the TEB vent remain at low values.

Lava from the TEB vent and the rootless shield complex continues to flow through tubes to the ocean. Minor incandescence was observed from the TEB vent - this was the only incandescence seen overnight in the area from the east rift eruption site to the top of the pali. Last night CD officials reported surface flows on the pali, and this morning they observed a weak, fluctuating plume at the ocean entry.

Definitions of terms used in the update:

FLIR: Forward Looking InfraRed, a camera which directly images heat rather than visible light. If volcanic fume is not too rich in water vapor, a FLIR can see through it to image hot surfaces.

pali: Hawaiian word for cliff or steep incline. In the context of the TEB flow field, 'pali' usually refers to Pulama pali that bisects the abandoned Royal Gardens subdivision.

CD: Hawai`i County Civil Defense

DOH air quality monitoring: see Hawai`i State Department of Health Air Quality website http://hawaii.gov/doh/air-quality/index.html .

bomb: lava fragment ejected into the air while molten acquiring aerodynamic shapes in flight; the term is restricted to pieces larger than 6.4 cm (2.5 in.). See http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/Products/Pglossary/bomb.html

hybrid, or explosion, seismic signals: complex earthquakes that are a hybrid of different signals. They start as a high frequency earthquake, similar to typical rock-breaking or rock fall events, that transitions to very long, 20-30 second, period (VLP) oscillations that continue for several minutes. At HVO, we observed these signals with the four small Halema`uma`u explosive eruptions in March, April, and August 2008. Several more similar signals, some as strong as the explosion signals associated with the four explosive eruptions, have been recorded without obvious evidenceof surface eruption such as rock fragments or other debris.

MODIS satellite: a NASA satellite pair, Aqua and Terra, which passes over Hawai`i twice a day. During daylight hours, the images are taken at about 11 am and 2 pm H.s.t. This imagery can be viewed about 3-5 hours after acquisition at http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?subset=AERONET_Mauna_Loa.

GOES-WEST satellite: a geostationary NOAA satellite used most often for weather tracking. Images are typically acquired every 15 minutes. The loop http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/VAAC/kilauea/sloop-vis.html is posted by the Washington DC Volcanic Ash Advisory Center for the purpose of tracking emissions from Hawai`i volcanoes. The imagery automatically switches from infrared at night to visual during the day. Recently, it has been useful for tracking volcanic gas emissions from Halema`uma`u, Pu`u `O`o, and the Waikupanaha ocean entry during the day and hot lava flows at night.

Volcano Watch: weekly newspaper-like article written by HVO scientists on a volcano topic of interest. These articles are usually printed in the Sunday editions of the Hawai`i Island newspapers Hawaii Tribune Herald and West Hawaii Today. More than 800 of these articles have been written and are archived on the HVO website (menu at the bottom of the homepage hvo.wr.usgs.gov).

VLP seismic tremor: seismic tremor is continuous ground vibrations simultaneously at many different frequencies. VLP is a very long period or very low frequency component which, at the Halema`uma`u vent, has a period of 20-30 seconds or a frequency of 0.03-0.05 cycles per second (Hertz or Hz).

RB2S2BL earthquakes: earthquakes that were recorded but too small to be located. These quakes have magnitudes less than 1.7 and may only be recorded on one or two seismometers. Recording at a minimum of 4 seismometer sites is required to locate an earthquake.

wink: an abrupt shutting off of incandescence at a vent lasting for several minutes. At the Halema`uma`u vent, winks usually start with or immediately follow a small, local earthquake. The diminishment of incandescence is due to the plume changing from translucent to opaque with rock dust.

tonne: metric unit equal to 1,000 kilograms, 2,204.6 lbs, or 1.1 English tons.

microradian: a measure of angle equivalent to 0.000057 degrees.

ppm: parts-per-million; 10,000 ppm = 1 %.

littoral cone: usually small cones built near active ocean entries; the cones are constructed of tephra from steam explosions that are sometimes produced when 1,150 degree C lava enters the 25 degree C ocean.

incandescence: the production of visible light from a hot surface. The color of the light is related to the temperature of the surface. Some surfaces can display dull red incandescence at temperatures as low as 430 degrees Centigrade (806 degrees Fahrenheit). By contrast, molten lava displays bright orange to orange-yellow light from surfaces that are hotter than 900 degrees C (1,650 degrees F).

tephra: all material deposited by fallout from an eruption-related plume, regardless of size.

ash: tephra less than 2 mm (5/64 inches) in size.

TEB: Thanksgiving Eve Breakout, the designation used for lava flows that started with a breakout on November 21, 2007.

DI tilt event: DI is an abbreviation for 'deflation-inflation' and describes a volcanic event of uncertain significance. DI events are recorded by tiltmeters at Kilauea summit as an abrupt deflation of up to a few microradians in magnitude lasting several hours to 2-3 days followed by an abrupt inflation of approximately equal magnitude. The tilt events are usually accompanied by an increase in summit tremor during the deflation phase. A careful analysis of these events suggests that they may be related to changes in magma supply to a storage reservoir at less than 1 km depth, just east of Halema`uma`u crater. Usually, though not always, these changes propagate through the magma conduit from the summit to the eruption site, as many of the DI events at Kilauea summit are also recorded at a tiltmeter at Pu`u `O`o, delayed by 1-2 hours. DI events often correlate with lava pulses and/or pauses in the eruption at the Pu`u `O`o/July 21/TEB vents.


Maps, photos, webcam views, and other information about Kilauea Volcano are available at http://volcano.wr.usgs.gov/kilaueastatus.php. A daily update summary is available by phone at (808) 967-8862.

A map with details of earthquakes located within the past two weeks can be found at http://tux.wr.usgs.gov/

A definition of alert levels can be found at http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/2006/warnschemes.html

HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY DAILY UPDATE
Sunday, November 16, 2008 08:26 HST (Sunday, November 16, 2008 18:26 UTC)

KILAUEA VOLCANO (CAVW#1302-01-)
19.42°N 155.29°W, Summit Elevation 4091 ft (1247 m)
Volcano Alert Level: WATCH
Aviation Color Code: ORANGE

This report on the status of Kilauea volcanic activity, in addition to maps, photos, and webcam images (available using the menu bar above), was prepared by the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO). Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park status can be found at http://www.nps.gov/havo/ or 985-6000. Hawai`i County Viewing Area status can be found at 961-8093.

Activity Summary for last 24 hours: No significant changes have occurred. Sulfur dioxide emission rates from the Halema`uma`u and the Pu`u `O`o vents remain high. Tephra production from the Halema`uma`u vent remains small. At the east rift eruption site, lava flows through tubes to the ocean; surface flows are active on the pali.

Last 24 hours at Kilauea summit: Last night the vent glow was again too weak to be recorded by the webcam. This morning, winds are carrying the gas plume to the southwest over the Ka`u desert, as is usual.

Sulfur dioxide emission rates remain elevated and variable. The most recent average measurement was 1,200 tonnes/day on November 14, compared to the 2003-2007 average rate of 140 tonnes/day.

Variable but small amounts of tephra, mostly ash-sized spatter, continue to be produced and deposited downwind of the vent; This morning's collection yielded a relatively low amount of material. Several spatter bits up to 1 cm (0.4 in) in size were collected, and distant surf sounds were heard from the vent.

The network of tiltmeters within the caldera recorded no significant changes over the last day. The GPS receiver networks (less sensitive than tiltmeters) continued to record weak contraction (barely 1 cm per month).

Seismic activity continued at low levels focused on the south caldera; tremor levels were moderate. Ten earthquakes were located beneath Kilauea or nearby in the last day, including 3 at the summit and 5 on the south flank. The number of RB2S2BL earthquakes beneath the caldera remains at background values of about 20-30/day.

Last 24 hours at the middle east rift zone vents and flow field: Magma continues to degas through Pu`u `O`o Crater. The most recent sulfur dioxide emission rate measurement of 2,000 tonnes/day measured on November 7 is slightly higher than the 2003-2007 average of about 1,700 tonnes/day for this vent. No incandescence was observed within the crater overnight. GOES-WEST imagery shows gas plumes from the east rift eruption site moving to the west.

The tiltmeter on the north side of Pu`u `O`o recorded no significant change over the last day. GPS stations spanning the crater (less sensitive than tiltmeters) recorded about 4 cm of contraction over the past 3 months. Seismic tremor levels near Pu`u `O`o and the TEB vent remain at low values.

Lava from the TEB vent and the rootless shield complex continues to flow through tubes to the ocean. Minor incandescence was observed from the TEB vent - this was the only incandescence seen overnight in the area from the east rift eruption site to the top of the pali. This morning, CD officials report continuing surface flow activity on the pali and continued activity at the ocean entry.

Definitions of terms used in the update:

FLIR: Forward Looking InfraRed, a camera which directly images heat rather than visible light. If volcanic fume is not too rich in water vapor, a FLIR can see through it to image hot surfaces.

pali: Hawaiian word for cliff or steep incline. In the context of the TEB flow field, 'pali' usually refers to Pulama pali that bisects the abandoned Royal Gardens subdivision.

CD: Hawai`i County Civil Defense

DOH air quality monitoring: see Hawai`i State Department of Health Air Quality website http://hawaii.gov/doh/air-quality/index.html .

bomb: lava fragment ejected into the air while molten acquiring aerodynamic shapes in flight; the term is restricted to pieces larger than 6.4 cm (2.5 in.). See http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/Products/Pglossary/bomb.html

hybrid, or explosion, seismic signals: complex earthquakes that are a hybrid of different signals. They start as a high frequency earthquake, similar to typical rock-breaking or rock fall events, that transitions to very long, 20-30 second, period (VLP) oscillations that continue for several minutes. At HVO, we observed these signals with the four small Halema`uma`u explosive eruptions in March, April, and August 2008. Several more similar signals, some as strong as the explosion signals associated with the four explosive eruptions, have been recorded without obvious evidenceof surface eruption such as rock fragments or other debris.

MODIS satellite: a NASA satellite pair, Aqua and Terra, which passes over Hawai`i twice a day. During daylight hours, the images are taken at about 11 am and 2 pm H.s.t. This imagery can be viewed about 3-5 hours after acquisition at http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?subset=AERONET_Mauna_Loa.

GOES-WEST satellite: a geostationary NOAA satellite used most often for weather tracking. Images are typically acquired every 15 minutes. The loop http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/VAAC/kilauea/sloop-vis.html is posted by the Washington DC Volcanic Ash Advisory Center for the purpose of tracking emissions from Hawai`i volcanoes. The imagery automatically switches from infrared at night to visual during the day. Recently, it has been useful for tracking volcanic gas emissions from Halema`uma`u, Pu`u `O`o, and the Waikupanaha ocean entry during the day and hot lava flows at night.

Volcano Watch: weekly newspaper-like article written by HVO scientists on a volcano topic of interest. These articles are usually printed in the Sunday editions of the Hawai`i Island newspapers Hawaii Tribune Herald and West Hawaii Today. More than 800 of these articles have been written and are archived on the HVO website (menu at the bottom of the homepage hvo.wr.usgs.gov).

VLP seismic tremor: seismic tremor is continuous ground vibrations simultaneously at many different frequencies. VLP is a very long period or very low frequency component which, at the Halema`uma`u vent, has a period of 20-30 seconds or a frequency of 0.03-0.05 cycles per second (Hertz or Hz).

RB2S2BL earthquakes: earthquakes that were recorded but too small to be located. These quakes have magnitudes less than 1.7 and may only be recorded on one or two seismometers. Recording at a minimum of 4 seismometer sites is required to locate an earthquake.

wink: an abrupt shutting off of incandescence at a vent lasting for several minutes. At the Halema`uma`u vent, winks usually start with or immediately follow a small, local earthquake. The diminishment of incandescence is due to the plume changing from translucent to opaque with rock dust.

tonne: metric unit equal to 1,000 kilograms, 2,204.6 lbs, or 1.1 English tons.

microradian: a measure of angle equivalent to 0.000057 degrees.

ppm: parts-per-million; 10,000 ppm = 1 %.

littoral cone: usually small cones built near active ocean entries; the cones are constructed of tephra from steam explosions that are sometimes produced when 1,150 degree C lava enters the 25 degree C ocean.

incandescence: the production of visible light from a hot surface. The color of the light is related to the temperature of the surface. Some surfaces can display dull red incandescence at temperatures as low as 430 degrees Centigrade (806 degrees Fahrenheit). By contrast, molten lava displays bright orange to orange-yellow light from surfaces that are hotter than 900 degrees C (1,650 degrees F).

tephra: all material deposited by fallout from an eruption-related plume, regardless of size.

ash: tephra less than 2 mm (5/64 inches) in size.

TEB: Thanksgiving Eve Breakout, the designation used for lava flows that started with a breakout on November 21, 2007.

DI tilt event: DI is an abbreviation for 'deflation-inflation' and describes a volcanic event of uncertain significance. DI events are recorded by tiltmeters at Kilauea summit as an abrupt deflation of up to a few microradians in magnitude lasting several hours to 2-3 days followed by an abrupt inflation of approximately equal magnitude. The tilt events are usually accompanied by an increase in summit tremor during the deflation phase. A careful analysis of these events suggests that they may be related to changes in magma supply to a storage reservoir at less than 1 km depth, just east of Halema`uma`u crater. Usually, though not always, these changes propagate through the magma conduit from the summit to the eruption site, as many of the DI events at Kilauea summit are also recorded at a tiltmeter at Pu`u `O`o, delayed by 1-2 hours. DI events often correlate with lava pulses and/or pauses in the eruption at the Pu`u `O`o/July 21/TEB vents.


Maps, photos, webcam views, and other information about Kilauea Volcano are available at http://volcano.wr.usgs.gov/kilaueastatus.php. A daily update summary is available by phone at (808) 967-8862.

A map with details of earthquakes located within the past two weeks can be found at http://tux.wr.usgs.gov/

A definition of alert levels can be found at http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/2006/warnschemes.html

HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY DAILY UPDATE
Saturday, November 15, 2008 08:41 HST (Saturday, November 15, 2008 18:41 UTC)

KILAUEA VOLCANO (CAVW#1302-01-)
19.42°N 155.29°W, Summit Elevation 4091 ft (1247 m)
Volcano Alert Level: WATCH
Aviation Color Code: ORANGE

This report on the status of Kilauea volcanic activity, in addition to maps, photos, and webcam images (available using the menu bar above), was prepared by the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO). Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park status can be found at http://www.nps.gov/havo/ or 985-6000. Hawai`i County Viewing Area status can be found at 961-8093.

Activity Summary for last 24 hours: No significant changes have occurred. Sulfur dioxide emission rates from the Halema`uma`u and the Pu`u `O`o vents remain high. Tephra production from the Halema`uma`u vent remains small. At the east rift eruption site, lava flows through tubes to the ocean; surface flows are active on the pali.

Last 24 hours at Kilauea summit: Last night was similar to many recent nights in that the vent glow was too weak to be recorded by the webcam. This morning, weak winds allow the gas plume to rise high over the crater rim before moving westward.

Sulfur dioxide emission rates remain elevated and variable. The most recent average measurement was 1,200 tonnes/day on November 14, compared to the 2003-2007 average rate of 140 tonnes/day.

Variable but small amounts of tephra, mostly ash-sized spatter, continue to be produced and deposited downwind of the vent.

The network of tiltmeters within the caldera recorded weak deflation. The GPS receiver networks (less sensitive than tiltmeters) continued to record weak contraction (barely 1 cm per month).

Seismic activity continued at low levels focused on the south caldera; tremor levels were moderate. Just one earthquake was located beneath Kilauea in the last day, in the summit region, but the number of RB2S2BL earthquakes beneath the caldera remain at background values of about 20/day.

Last 24 hours at the middle east rift zone vents and flow field: Magma continues to degas through Pu`u `O`o Crater. The most recent sulfur dioxide emission rate measurement of 2,000 tonnes/day measured on November 7 is slightly higher than the 2003-2007 average of about 1,700 tonnes/day for this vent. No incandescence was observed within the crater overnight. GOES-WEST imagery shows gas plumes from the east rift eruption site moving to the west.

The tiltmeter on the north side of Pu`u `O`o recorded slow deflation. GPS stations spanning the crater (less sensitive than tiltmeters) recorded about 4 cm of contraction over the past 3 months. Seismic tremor levels near Pu`u `O`o and the TEB vent remain at low values.

Lava from the TEB vent and the rootless shield complex continues to flow through tubes to the ocean. No incandescence was seen overnight anywhere in the area from the east rift eruption site to the top of the pali. HVO geologists yesterday reported small active flows on the coastal plain near the base of the pali. This morning, CD officials report continuing surface flow activity on the pali and a large ocean entry plume moving to the west.

Definitions of terms used in the update:

FLIR: Forward Looking InfraRed, a camera which directly images heat rather than visible light. If volcanic fume is not too rich in water vapor, a FLIR can see through it to image hot surfaces.

pali: Hawaiian word for cliff or steep incline. In the context of the TEB flow field, 'pali' usually refers to Pulama pali that bisects the abandoned Royal Gardens subdivision.

CD: Hawai`i County Civil Defense

DOH air quality monitoring: see Hawai`i State Department of Health Air Quality website http://hawaii.gov/doh/air-quality/index.html .

bomb: lava fragment ejected into the air while molten acquiring aerodynamic shapes in flight; the term is restricted to pieces larger than 6.4 cm (2.5 in.). See http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/Products/Pglossary/bomb.html

hybrid, or explosion, seismic signals: complex earthquakes that are a hybrid of different signals. They start as a high frequency earthquake, similar to typical rock-breaking or rock fall events, that transitions to very long, 20-30 second, period (VLP) oscillations that continue for several minutes. At HVO, we observed these signals with the four small Halema`uma`u explosive eruptions in March, April, and August 2008. Several more similar signals, some as strong as the explosion signals associated with the four explosive eruptions, have been recorded without obvious evidenceof surface eruption such as rock fragments or other debris.

MODIS satellite: a NASA satellite pair, Aqua and Terra, which passes over Hawai`i twice a day. During daylight hours, the images are taken at about 11 am and 2 pm H.s.t. This imagery can be viewed about 3-5 hours after acquisition at http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?subset=AERONET_Mauna_Loa.

GOES-WEST satellite: a geostationary NOAA satellite used most often for weather tracking. Images are typically acquired every 15 minutes. The loop http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/VAAC/kilauea/sloop-vis.html is posted by the Washington DC Volcanic Ash Advisory Center for the purpose of tracking emissions from Hawai`i volcanoes. The imagery automatically switches from infrared at night to visual during the day. Recently, it has been useful for tracking volcanic gas emissions from Halema`uma`u, Pu`u `O`o, and the Waikupanaha ocean entry during the day and hot lava flows at night.

Volcano Watch: weekly newspaper-like article written by HVO scientists on a volcano topic of interest. These articles are usually printed in the Sunday editions of the Hawai`i Island newspapers Hawaii Tribune Herald and West Hawaii Today. More than 800 of these articles have been written and are archived on the HVO website (menu at the bottom of the homepage hvo.wr.usgs.gov).

VLP seismic tremor: seismic tremor is continuous ground vibrations simultaneously at many different frequencies. VLP is a very long period or very low frequency component which, at the Halema`uma`u vent, has a period of 20-30 seconds or a frequency of 0.03-0.05 cycles per second (Hertz or Hz).

RB2S2BL earthquakes: earthquakes that were recorded but too small to be located. These quakes have magnitudes less than 1.7 and may only be recorded on one or two seismometers. Recording at a minimum of 4 seismometer sites is required to locate an earthquake.

wink: an abrupt shutting off of incandescence at a vent lasting for several minutes. At the Halema`uma`u vent, winks usually start with or immediately follow a small, local earthquake. The diminishment of incandescence is due to the plume changing from translucent to opaque with rock dust.

tonne: metric unit equal to 1,000 kilograms, 2,204.6 lbs, or 1.1 English tons.

microradian: a measure of angle equivalent to 0.000057 degrees.

ppm: parts-per-million; 10,000 ppm = 1 %.

littoral cone: usually small cones built near active ocean entries; the cones are constructed of tephra from steam explosions that are sometimes produced when 1,150 degree C lava enters the 25 degree C ocean.

incandescence: the production of visible light from a hot surface. The color of the light is related to the temperature of the surface. Some surfaces can display dull red incandescence at temperatures as low as 430 degrees Centigrade (806 degrees Fahrenheit). By contrast, molten lava displays bright orange to orange-yellow light from surfaces that are hotter than 900 degrees C (1,650 degrees F).

tephra: all material deposited by fallout from an eruption-related plume, regardless of size.

ash: tephra less than 2 mm (5/64 inches) in size.

TEB: Thanksgiving Eve Breakout, the designation used for lava flows that started with a breakout on November 21, 2007.

DI tilt event: DI is an abbreviation for 'deflation-inflation' and describes a volcanic event of uncertain significance. DI events are recorded by tiltmeters at Kilauea summit as an abrupt deflation of up to a few microradians in magnitude lasting several hours to 2-3 days followed by an abrupt inflation of approximately equal magnitude. The tilt events are usually accompanied by an increase in summit tremor during the deflation phase. A careful analysis of these events suggests that they may be related to changes in magma supply to a storage reservoir at less than 1 km depth, just east of Halema`uma`u crater. Usually, though not always, these changes propagate through the magma conduit from the summit to the eruption site, as many of the DI events at Kilauea summit are also recorded at a tiltmeter at Pu`u `O`o, delayed by 1-2 hours. DI events often correlate with lava pulses and/or pauses in the eruption at the Pu`u `O`o/July 21/TEB vents.


Maps, photos, webcam views, and other information about Kilauea Volcano are available at http://volcano.wr.usgs.gov/kilaueastatus.php. A daily update summary is available by phone at (808) 967-8862.

A map with details of earthquakes located within the past two weeks can be found at http://tux.wr.usgs.gov/

A definition of alert levels can be found at http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/2006/warnschemes.html

HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY DAILY UPDATE
Friday, November 14, 2008 08:10 HST (Friday, November 14, 2008 18:10 UTC)

KILAUEA VOLCANO (CAVW#1302-01-)
19.42°N 155.29°W, Summit Elevation 4091 ft (1247 m)
Volcano Alert Level: WATCH
Aviation Color Code: ORANGE

This report on the status of Kilauea volcanic activity, in addition to maps, photos, and webcam images (available using the menu bar above), was prepared by the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO). Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park status can be found at http://www.nps.gov/havo/ or 985-6000. Hawai`i County Viewing Area status can be found at 961-8093.

Activity Summary for last 24 hours: Tuesday's DI tilt event completed yesterday. Sulfur dioxide emission rates from the Halema`uma`u and the Pu`u `O`o vents remain high. Tephra production from the Halema`uma`u vent remains small. At the east rift eruption site, lava flows through tubes to the ocean; surface flows are active on the pali.

Last 24 hours at Kilauea summit: Weak winds resulted in moderately poor air quality overnight. Last night was similar to many recent nights in that the vent glow was too weak to be recorded by the webcam. At dawn, weak winds from the south are allowing the gas plume to rise vertically before moving to the north at about 600 m (2,000 ft) above ground. GOES-WEST imagery shows the plume moving northward into the Saddle and spreading out.

Sulfur dioxide emission rates remain elevated and variable. The most recent average measurement was 1,200 tonnes/day on November 10, compared to the 2003-2007 average rate of 140 tonnes/day. Gas emission rate measurements will resume moderate trade winds resume.

Variable but small amounts of tephra, mostly ash-sized spatter, continue to be produced and deposited downwind of the vent; collection amounts were again small, possibly because the plume has been moving away from the collection locations. Vent sounds included moderately loud surf noises and some muffled thumps.

The network of tiltmeters within the caldera turned back to recording very weak deflation. The GPS receiver networks (less sensitive than tiltmeters) continued to record weak contraction (barely 1 cm per month).

Seismic activity continued at low levels focused on the south caldera; tremor levels were back at the moderate values last seen on Nov. 12. An unusually low total of 4 earthquakes were located beneath Kilauea or nearby, including 1 beneath the south caldera and 2 on south flank faults, with the number of RB2S2BL earthquakes beneath the caldera at background values decreasing to around 20-30/day.

Last 24 hours at the middle east rift zone vents and flow field: Magma continues to degas through Pu`u `O`o Crater. The most recent sulfur dioxide emission rate measurement of 2,000 tonnes/day measured on November 7 is slightly higher than the 2003-2007 average of about 1,700 tonnes/day for this vent. No incandescence was observed within the crater overnight. GOES-WEST imagery shows gas plumes from the east rift eruption site moving to the north.

The tiltmeter on the north side of Pu`u `O`o recorded rain-induced signals. GPS stations spanning the crater (less sensitive than tiltmeters) recorded about 4 cm of contraction over the past 3 months. Seismic tremor levels near Pu`u `O`o and the TEB vent remain at low values.

Lava from the TEB vent and the rootless shield complex has resumed flow through tubes to the ocean. No incandescence was seen overnight anywhere in the area from the east rift eruption site to the top of the pali. This morning, CD officials report continuing surface flow activity on the pali and a large ocean entry plume moving from west to east.

Definitions of terms used in the update:

FLIR: Forward Looking InfraRed, a camera which directly images heat rather than visible light. If volcanic fume is not too rich in water vapor, a FLIR can see through it to image hot surfaces.

pali: Hawaiian word for cliff or steep incline. In the context of the TEB flow field, 'pali' usually refers to Pulama pali that bisects the abandoned Royal Gardens subdivision.

CD: Hawai`i County Civil Defense

DOH air quality monitoring: see Hawai`i State Department of Health Air Quality website http://hawaii.gov/doh/air-quality/index.html .

bomb: lava fragment ejected into the air while molten acquiring aerodynamic shapes in flight; the term is restricted to pieces larger than 6.4 cm (2.5 in.). See http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/Products/Pglossary/bomb.html

hybrid, or explosion, seismic signals: complex earthquakes that are a hybrid of different signals. They start as a high frequency earthquake, similar to typical rock-breaking or rock fall events, that transitions to very long, 20-30 second, period (VLP) oscillations that continue for several minutes. At HVO, we observed these signals with the four small Halema`uma`u explosive eruptions in March, April, and August 2008. Several more similar signals, some as strong as the explosion signals associated with the four explosive eruptions, have been recorded without obvious evidenceof surface eruption such as rock fragments or other debris.

MODIS satellite: a NASA satellite pair, Aqua and Terra, which passes over Hawai`i twice a day. During daylight hours, the images are taken at about 11 am and 2 pm H.s.t. This imagery can be viewed about 3-5 hours after acquisition at http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?subset=AERONET_Mauna_Loa.

GOES-WEST satellite: a geostationary NOAA satellite used most often for weather tracking. Images are typically acquired every 15 minutes. The loop http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/VAAC/kilauea/sloop-vis.html is posted by the Washington DC Volcanic Ash Advisory Center for the purpose of tracking emissions from Hawai`i volcanoes. The imagery automatically switches from infrared at night to visual during the day. Recently, it has been useful for tracking volcanic gas emissions from Halema`uma`u, Pu`u `O`o, and the Waikupanaha ocean entry during the day and hot lava flows at night.

Volcano Watch: weekly newspaper-like article written by HVO scientists on a volcano topic of interest. These articles are usually printed in the Sunday editions of the Hawai`i Island newspapers Hawaii Tribune Herald and West Hawaii Today. More than 800 of these articles have been written and are archived on the HVO website (menu at the bottom of the homepage hvo.wr.usgs.gov).

VLP seismic tremor: seismic tremor is continuous ground vibrations simultaneously at many different frequencies. VLP is a very long period or very low frequency component which, at the Halema`uma`u vent, has a period of 20-30 seconds or a frequency of 0.03-0.05 cycles per second (Hertz or Hz).

RB2S2BL earthquakes: earthquakes that were recorded but too small to be located. These quakes have magnitudes less than 1.7 and may only be recorded on one or two seismometers. Recording at a minimum of 4 seismometer sites is required to locate an earthquake.

wink: an abrupt shutting off of incandescence at a vent lasting for several minutes. At the Halema`uma`u vent, winks usually start with or immediately follow a small, local earthquake. The diminishment of incandescence is due to the plume changing from translucent to opaque with rock dust.

tonne: metric unit equal to 1,000 kilograms, 2,204.6 lbs, or 1.1 English tons.

microradian: a measure of angle equivalent to 0.000057 degrees.

ppm: parts-per-million; 10,000 ppm = 1 %.

littoral cone: usually small cones built near active ocean entries; the cones are constructed of tephra from steam explosions that are sometimes produced when 1,150 degree C lava enters the 25 degree C ocean.

incandescence: the production of visible light from a hot surface. The color of the light is related to the temperature of the surface. Some surfaces can display dull red incandescence at temperatures as low as 430 degrees Centigrade (806 degrees Fahrenheit). By contrast, molten lava displays bright orange to orange-yellow light from surfaces that are hotter than 900 degrees C (1,650 degrees F).

tephra: all material deposited by fallout from an eruption-related plume, regardless of size.

ash: tephra less than 2 mm (5/64 inches) in size.

TEB: Thanksgiving Eve Breakout, the designation used for lava flows that started with a breakout on November 21, 2007.

DI tilt event: DI is an abbreviation for 'deflation-inflation' and describes a volcanic event of uncertain significance. DI events are recorded by tiltmeters at Kilauea summit as an abrupt deflation of up to a few microradians in magnitude lasting several hours to 2-3 days followed by an abrupt inflation of approximately equal magnitude. The tilt events are usually accompanied by an increase in summit tremor during the deflation phase. A careful analysis of these events suggests that they may be related to changes in magma supply to a storage reservoir at less than 1 km depth, just east of Halema`uma`u crater. Usually, though not always, these changes propagate through the magma conduit from the summit to the eruption site, as many of the DI events at Kilauea summit are also recorded at a tiltmeter at Pu`u `O`o, delayed by 1-2 hours. DI events often correlate with lava pulses and/or pauses in the eruption at the Pu`u `O`o/July 21/TEB vents.


Maps, photos, webcam views, and other information about Kilauea Volcano are available at http://volcano.wr.usgs.gov/kilaueastatus.php. A daily update summary is available by phone at (808) 967-8862.

A map with details of earthquakes located within the past two weeks can be found at http://tux.wr.usgs.gov/

A definition of alert levels can be found at http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/2006/warnschemes.html

HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY DAILY UPDATE
Thursday, November 13, 2008 08:01 HST (Thursday, November 13, 2008 18:01 UTC)

KILAUEA VOLCANO (CAVW#1302-01-)
19.42°N 155.29°W, Summit Elevation 4091 ft (1247 m)
Volcano Alert Level: WATCH
Aviation Color Code: ORANGE

This report on the status of Kilauea volcanic activity, in addition to maps, photos, and webcam images (available using the menu bar above), was prepared by the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO). Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park status can be found at http://www.nps.gov/havo/ or 985-6000. Hawai`i County Viewing Area status can be found at 961-8093.

Activity Summary for last 24 hours: Tuesday's DI tilt event has moved into inflation. Sulfur dioxide emission rates from the Halema`uma`u and the Pu`u `O`o vents remain high. Tephra production from the Halema`uma`u vent remains small. At the east rift eruption site, lava flow has paused in response to the ongoing DI tilt event.

Last 24 hours at Kilauea summit: Weak winds resulted in a plume directed in many different directions over the course of the day and some moderately poor air quality. Last night was similar to many recent nights in that the vent glow was too weak to be recorded by the webcam. This morning at dawn, weak winds are allowing the gas plume to drift slightly eastward before disappearing into low clouds.

Sulfur dioxide emission rates remain elevated and variable. The most recent average measurement was 1,200 tonnes/day on November 10, compared to the 2003-2007 average rate of 140 tonnes/day. Gas emission rate measurements will resume with the reestablishment of moderate trade winds.

Variable but small amounts of tephra, mostly ash-sized spatter, continue to be produced and deposited downwind of the vent; vent sounds seem louder with the distant surf and rock fall sounds heard over the lightning and thunder during this morning's collection routine.

The network of tiltmeters within the caldera continued to record the inflation portion of Tuesday's DI tilt event (see graph in deformation section) which started at 2:24 pm yesterday. The GPS receiver networks (less sensitive than tiltmeters) continued to record weak contraction (barely 1 cm per month).

Seismic activity continued at low levels focused on the south caldera; tremor levels were at moderate values, decreased slightly as inflation started, then increased again around 11 pm. A total of 6 earthquakes (lowest in the last few weeks) were located beneath Kilauea or nearby, including 3 beneath the south caldera and 1 on south flank faults, with the number of RB2S2BL earthquakes beneath the caldera at background values decreasing to around 20-30/day.

Last 24 hours at the middle east rift zone vents and flow field: Magma continues to degas through Pu`u `O`o Crater. The most recent sulfur dioxide emission rate measurement of 2,000 tonnes/day measured on November 7 is slightly higher than the 2003-2007 average of about 1,700 tonnes/day for this vent. No incandescence was observed within the crater overnight.

The tiltmeter on the north side of Pu`u `O`o recorded inflation starting at 3 pm in response to Tuesday's DI tilt event starting at the summit (see graph in deformation section) although the exact time was masked by the nearly coincident start of rain squalls in the area. GPS stations spanning the crater (less sensitive than tiltmeters) recorded about 4 cm of contraction over the past 3 months. Seismic tremor levels near Pu`u `O`o and the TEB vent remain at low values other than minor seismic activity related to rainfall.

Lava from the TEB vent and the rootless shield complex has paused. Yesterday afternoon, CD officials closed the viewing area because a wind shift was bringing fume into the area. No incandescence was seen overnight anywhere in the area from the east rift eruption site to the top of the pali. Thick clouds prevented satellite views. This morning, CD officials report no ocean plume.

Definitions of terms used in the update:

FLIR: Forward Looking InfraRed, a camera which directly images heat rather than visible light. If volcanic fume is not too rich in water vapor, a FLIR can see through it to image hot surfaces.

pali: Hawaiian word for cliff or steep incline. In the context of the TEB flow field, 'pali' usually refers to Pulama pali that bisects the abandoned Royal Gardens subdivision.

CD: Hawai`i County Civil Defense

DOH air quality monitoring: see Hawai`i State Department of Health Air Quality website http://hawaii.gov/doh/air-quality/index.html .

bomb: lava fragment ejected into the air while molten acquiring aerodynamic shapes in flight; the term is restricted to pieces larger than 6.4 cm (2.5 in.). See http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/Products/Pglossary/bomb.html

hybrid, or explosion, seismic signals: complex earthquakes that are a hybrid of different signals. They start as a high frequency earthquake, similar to typical rock-breaking or rock fall events, that transitions to very long, 20-30 second, period (VLP) oscillations that continue for several minutes. At HVO, we observed these signals with the four small Halema`uma`u explosive eruptions in March, April, and August 2008. Several more similar signals, some as strong as the explosion signals associated with the four explosive eruptions, have been recorded without obvious evidenceof surface eruption such as rock fragments or other debris.

MODIS satellite: a NASA satellite pair, Aqua and Terra, which passes over Hawai`i twice a day. During daylight hours, the images are taken at about 11 am and 2 pm H.s.t. This imagery can be viewed about 3-5 hours after acquisition at http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?subset=AERONET_Mauna_Loa.

GOES-WEST satellite: a geostationary NOAA satellite used most often for weather tracking. Images are typically acquired every 15 minutes. The loop http://www.ssd.noaa.gov/VAAC/kilauea/sloop-vis.html is posted by the Washington DC Volcanic Ash Advisory Center for the purpose of tracking emissions from Hawai`i volcanoes. The imagery automatically switches from infrared at night to visual during the day. Recently, it has been useful for tracking volcanic gas emissions from Halema`uma`u, Pu`u `O`o, and the Waikupanaha ocean entry during the day and hot lava flows at night.

Volcano Watch: weekly newspaper-like article written by HVO scientists on a volcano topic of interest. These articles are usually printed in the Sunday editions of the Hawai`i Island newspapers Hawaii Tribune Herald and West Hawaii Today. More than 800 of these articles have been written and are archived on the HVO website (menu at the bottom of the homepage hvo.wr.usgs.gov).

VLP seismic tremor: seismic tremor is continuous ground vibrations simultaneously at many different frequencies. VLP is a very long period or very low frequency component which, at the Halema`uma`u vent, has a period of 20-30 seconds or a frequency of 0.03-0.05 cycles per second (Hertz or Hz).

RB2S2BL earthquakes: earthquakes that were recorded but too small to be located. These quakes have magnitudes less than 1.7 and may only be recorded on one or two seismometers. Recording at a minimum of 4 seismometer sites is required to locate an earthquake.

wink: an abrupt shutting off of incandescence at a vent lasting for several minutes. At the Halema`uma`u vent, winks usually start with or immediately follow a small, local earthquake. The diminishment of incandescence is due to the plume changing from translucent to opaque with rock dust.

tonne: metric unit equal to 1,000 kilograms, 2,204.6 lbs, or 1.1 English tons.

microradian: a measure of angle equivalent to 0.000057 degrees.

ppm: parts-per-million; 10,000 ppm = 1 %.

littoral cone: usually small cones built near active ocean entries; the cones are constructed of tephra from steam explosions that are sometimes produced when 1,150 degree C lava enters the 25 degree C ocean.

incandescence: the production of visible light from a hot surface. The color of the light is related to the temperature of the surface. Some surfaces can display dull red incandescence at temperatures as low as 430 degrees Centigrade (806 degrees Fahrenheit). By contrast, molten lava displays bright orange to orange-yellow light from surfaces that are hotter than 900 degrees C (1,650 degrees F).

tephra: all material deposited by fallout from an eruption-related plume, regardless of size.

ash: tephra less than 2 mm (5/64 inches) in size.

TEB: Thanksgiving Eve Breakout, the designation used for lava flows that started with a breakout on November 21, 2007.

DI tilt event: DI is an abbreviation for 'deflation-inflation' and describes a volcanic event of uncertain significance. DI events are recorded by tiltmeters at Kilauea summit as an abrupt deflation of up to a few microradians in magnitude lasting several hours to 2-3 days followed by an abrupt inflation of approximately equal magnitude. The tilt events are usually accompanied by an increase in summit tremor during the deflation phase. A careful analysis of these events suggests that they may be related to changes in magma supply to a storage reservoir at less than 1 km depth, just east of Halema`uma`u crater. Usually, though not always, these changes propagate through the magma conduit from the summit to the eruption site, as many of the DI events at Kilauea summit are also recorded at a tiltmeter at Pu`u `O`o, delayed by 1-2 hours. DI events often correlate with lava pulses and/or pauses in the eruption at the Pu`u `O`o/July 21/TEB vents.


Maps, photos, webcam views, and other information about Kilauea Volcano are available at http://volcano.wr.usgs.gov/kilaueastatus.php. A daily update summary is available by phone at (808) 967-8862.

A map with details of earthquakes located within the past two weeks can be found at http://tux.wr.usgs.gov/

A definition of alert levels can be found at http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/2006/warnschemes.html