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98006
From: ryan, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Hawaii's Kilauea volcano rattled by 1,600 earthquakes in 6 days
URL: https://www.sfgate.com/hawaii/article/hawaii-kilauea-volcano-rattled-earthquakes-19446806.php
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Hawaii's Kilauea volcano rattled by 1,600 earthquakes in 6 days By Katie Dowd Updated May 8, 2024 1:02 p.m. File photo of the Kilauea volcano from the Kilauea overlook in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. ©fitopardo/Getty Images Over 200 small earthquakes in 24 hours shook the ground near Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano as the summit sees “heightened unrest,” the U.S. Geological Survey said. Between April 27 and May 2, the volcano experienced over 1,600 small earthquakes. “Both seismicity and ground deformation increased sharply in the past week,” the USGS wrote in a statement late last week. That activity has continued this week. On Tuesday, the USGS recorded 230 earthquakes in the prior 24 hours. Most are quite minor, with a magnitude under 2.0, but additional “ground deformation” has been noted. About 140 of the quakes are in the area spanning the Keanakakoi crater to Hilina Pali Road on Kilauea’s upper East Rift Zone. The last eruption in the upper East Rift Zone was in November 1979 and lasted just one day; two months of earthquakes led up to that eruption. "Currently, there are not signs an eruption is imminent, but the earthquakes and ground deformation are showing us that magma is pressurizing in the magma storage system beneath the summit region of Kilauea," USGS geologist Katherine Mulliken told SFGATE. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Volcanic activity can change dramatically in a matter of hours, so the USGS is monitoring the situation closely. Scientists say a whole range of scenarios are possible, from merely more small earthquakes to magma building up and eventually erupting. “Accelerated rates of ground deformation and earthquakes” would occur about one to two hours before lava found its way to the surface. "At this time, it is not possible to say whether this increase in activity will lead to an intrusion or eruption in the near future or simply continue as seismic unrest at depth," Mulliken said. "Changes in the character and location of unrest can occur quickly, as can the potential for eruption." Kilauea is one of the most active volcanoes on the planet. It last erupted for a week in September 2023. No one was harmed, and there was no damage to structures. |
98007
From: ao, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: Hawaii's Kilauea volcano rattled by 1,600 earthquakes in 6 days
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"the earthquakes and ground deformation are showing us that magma is pressurizing in the magma storage system beneath the summit region of Kilauea" The volcano is refilling. During the 2018 eruption Kilauea erupted approx 1.4 cubic kilometers (or about 0.34 cubic miles) of lava. Long term modeling puts Kilauea's magma 'budget' (the amount incoming from the mantle plume) between 500,000 to 1mil cubic meters per day. At that rate it takes a while to refill the voids left by that eruption. Not to say it won't erupt, the summit has repeatedly in the recent past, but the main event is recharging the volcano's interior. |
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[98008]
98008
From: Redhart, [DNS_Address]
Subject: Re: Hawaii's Kilauea volcano rattled by 1,600 earthquakes in 6 days
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With Kilauea's history, it would be surprising if she didn't refill and prepare for the next eruption. Do correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems that's been the overall pattern for Kilauea in recent history. In my head, the question has never been if she'll erupt again, just when. It's one of the most active volcanoes in the world. I appreciate your expertise on the Hawaiian volcanoes, btw. |
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