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| Passing showers on the morning of December 29 at Kīlauea summit produced a rainbow (known in Hawaiian as an "Ānuenue") visible near the active lava fountaining in the southwest part of the caldera. USGS photo by M. Patrick. |
DISPLAYS OF LAVA FOUNTAINING GREETED HAWAI'I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK VISITORS this New Year, while most people around the world greeted the New Year with fireworks and other celebrations. So notes the latest edition of
Volcano Watch, the weekly column by USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists and their affiliates.
The lava fountaining has been in the southwest part of Kaluapele, the summit caldera of Kīlauea volcano.
Magma chambers beneath Kīlauea summit region showed increasing pressurization in the months leading up to the current eruption. Fountains of lava burst from the floor of Halemaʻumaʻu at 2:20 a.m. HST on Dec. 23, rapidly reaching heights up to nearly 300 feet (91 meters). These vigorous lava fountains fed lava flows that covered most of the floor of Halemaʻumaʻu crater within Kaluapele that dropped during the 2018 caldera collapse, referred to informally as the "downdropped block."
Lava being erupted on the surface rapidly relieved some of the pressure that had built up in the magma storage areas below Kīlauea summit. The summit tiltmeters showed strong deflationary tilt immediately after the eruption began, until about 4 p.m. on Dec. 23, when the lava fountains ceased erupting. At this point, lava began flowing back into the vent, in a phenomenon called "drainback," and tilting direction at UWE and SDH switched to inflationary. This indicated that pressure was again building in the magma
chambers beneath Kīlauea summit.
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Inflationary tilt continued overnight, and lava began slowly erupting again around 8 a.m. HST on Christmas Eve, Dec. 24. At about 11 a.m. HST, lava fountaining resumed and tiltmeters once again began measuring rapid deflationary tilt during this second episode of the eruption, which continued for the next 24 hours. Lava flows again covered most of the lower elevation southwest portion of Kaluapele floor and the eruption abruptly stopped again around 11 a.m. on Christmas Day, Dec. 25.
Just as they did during the earlier pause, summit tiltmeters began measuring inflationary tilt, indicating that pressure was again accumulating in the magma chambers. Inflation continued through the following night until the eruption resumed at 8 a.m. HST on Dec. 26. Slow lava flows remained close to the vent until the evening of Dec. 27, when low-level lava fountaining resumed. Lava fountaining gradually increased in vigor as slow inflation continued until the afternoon of Dec. 29. Since then, Kīlauea summit tiltmeters have continued to measure deflationary tilt with lava fountaining feeding lava flows in the southwest portion of Halemaʻumaʻu.
This interplay of eruption episodes and variations in
magma chamber pressure leads to lots of questions. Most of all: "Why has the eruption been stopping and starting so dramatically?" The association of drainback with magma chamber inflation is puzzling; one would expect increased eruption rate if pressure is increasing.
The answer may lie in the gas content of lava and extent to which gas bubbles also drive eruption. Like releasing the cap off a soda, opening a eruptive vent can result in a combination of pressure- and bubble-driven flow. Erupted lava that "drains back" into the vent is much denser than the fresh gas-rich lava. The drainback lava forms a plug, like putting a cork back into a champagne bottle, that allows the magma chamber to repressurize. The dense lava is slowly pushed out at the beginning of the next episode until new, gas-rich lava gets close enough to the surface to vesiculate and restart fountaining.
The third episode of the eruption is ongoing as of this writing. The USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) continues to closely monitor the activity, and views of the activity are available on
HVO webcams, including a
livestream camera.
The recent eruption is a reminder that in Hawai'i we live on the flanks of volcanoes, some of which are active. Volcano Awareness Month is a great opportunity for you to increase your knowledge of volcanic activity in Hawaii—join us at one of the many events being offered on the Island of Hawaiʻi throughout the month of January and don't forget to submit your art or poetry to our contest! Learn more here:
https://www.usgs.gov/observatories/hvo/news/island-hawaii-volcano-awareness-month-programs-january-2025.
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Graph of tilting at the summit of Kīlauea recorded by the UWD tiltmeter, located near Uēkahuna bluff on the north side of the caldera and the SDH tiltmeter located south of the caldera. An increase at these tiltmeter orientations indicates tilting away from the caldera, which is consistent with inflation of the Halemaʻumaʻu magma chamber. While a decrease at these tiltmeter orientations indicates ground tilt towards the caldera, which is consistent with Halemaʻumaʻu magma chamber deflation. The duration of episodes 1, 2, and 3 of eruptive activity between December 23, 2024, and January 2, 2025, are shown in the highlighted areas. USGS plot |
Volcano Activity Updates: Kīlauea is erupting. Its USGS Volcano Alert level is ADVISORY.
Over the past week, vents in the southwest portion of the caldera have continued producing lava flows covering the western portion of the crater floor during sustained lava fountaining. Eruptive activity has been confined to Halemaʻumaʻu and the down-dropped block within the caldera. No unusual activity has been noted along Kīlauea's East Rift Zone or Southwest Rift Zone. Sulfur dioxide
emission rates are elevated in the summit region during eruptive activity. Earthquake rates in the Southwest Rift Zone and upper to middle East Rift Zone remained comparable to the previous week. Ground
deformation rates outside of the summit region remained steady.
Mauna Loa is not erupting. Its USGS Volcano Alert Level is at NORMAL.
Five earthquakes were reported felt in the Hawaiian Islands during the past week: a M3.1 earthquake 10 km (6 mi) E of Pāhala at 30 km (18 mi) depth on January 1 at 10:51 a.m. HST, a M2.6 earthquake 2 km (1 mi) WSW of Pāhala at 31 km (19 mi) depth on December 30 at 1:06 a.m. HST, a M2.7 earthquake 2 km (1 mi) WSW of Pāhala at 32 km (20 mi) depth on December 29 at 11:35 p.m. HST, a M3.7 earthquake 2 km (1 mi) SW of Pāhala at 30 km (18 mi) depth on December 29 at 11:19 p.m. HST, and a M4.3 earthquake 1 km (0 mi) WSW of Pāhala at 30 km (19 mi) depth on December 29 at 11:04 p.m. HST.
HVO continues to closely monitor Kīlauea and Mauna Loa.
Please visit HVO's website for past Volcano Watch articles, Kīlauea and Mauna Loa updates, volcano photos, maps, recent earthquake information, and more. Email questions to
askHVO@usgs.gov.
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| Hawai'i U.S. Sen Brian Schatz |
HAWAI'I U.S. SEN.BRIAN SCHATZ has released a review of last year and a look forward. The Democrat wrote:
"It's important to recognize the challenges ahead, but I also want to take a moment to acknowledge the good things we accomplished this year. That's what this work is all about, and it's proof that it makes a difference.We funded emergency response in Hawai'i and across the country and fixed a 50-year gap in Social Security payments.
"We introduced measures to extend access to telehealth care, protect and expand Social Security, strengthen health care for seniors, and protect IVF and women's health care choices.
"We made meaningful investments to reduce emissions, improve energy efficiency, lower people's energy costs, strengthen our climate and disaster resilience, add new electric buses and transit, and build more housing.
"We confirmed hundreds of lifetime appointments to federal benches across the country.
"These are all things that make a real difference in people's everyday lives, and I appreciate everything you've done to help make those wins possible. They're no small thing.
"In the coming year, we will have to pick our spots when and where we can advance the issues and policies we care about. We must fight against the worst impulses of the incoming Trump administration and Republican majorities in Congress. But we can't give up."
To read co
mments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar. See upcoming events, print edition and archive at
kaunews.com.
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Now grown ups, these keiki experienced Summer Fun years ago and the tradition continues,
with Summer Fun jobs open for this summer. Photo by Julia Neal |
POSITIONS TO WORK AT SUMMER FUN, hosted by County of Hawai'i Department of Parks & Recreation are now open for applications/ The program provides healthy, safe and fun recreational activities for children and teens at sites across the County during summer break. The jobs are temporary for the Summer Fun program.
Available positions are activity aide I ($17.50 per hour) and activity aide II ($19 per hour. To be considered for employment, applicants must:
Possess a current First Aid certification.
Submit a completed Summer Fun application.
Be available to attend mandatory training from June 3-6.
Be available to work from June 9-July 18.
Applications for the Summer Fun Program positions are available online at
https://tinyurl.com/SummerFunApp2025; at the Recreation Division Office at 799 Pi'ilani St., Hilo; and at Hawai'i County gymnasiums.
Completed applications must be submitted to the Recreation Division or postmarked by Friday, Feb. 28.
For additional information about job opportunities with the 2025 Summer Fun Program, contact the Recreation Division at 808-961-8740.
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