Kilauea Volcano: Monitoring Magma Movement and Eruption Likelihood
TL;DR
The USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory has detailed the recent magma intrusion at Kīlauea, which prompted the raising of the volcano alert level to WATCH/ORANGE. The intrusion caused earthquake swarms and ground deformation, indicating magma movement from the storage system below Kīlauea summit to the southwest. The alert level has since been lowered to ADVISORY/WATCH, and while there hasn't been an eruption, surface cracks have formed in the Kaʻū Desert of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Intrusions are a common process for volcanoes, serving as a pressure-release valve for magma reservoirs.
Topics:sciencenatural-disasters#earthquake-swarms#kilauea#magma-intrusion#natural-disasters#usgs#volcanic-activity
- VOLCANO WATCH: Scientists Detail Kilauea Magma Intrusion Big Island Video News
- History's best-monitored caldera-forming eruption provides insights into how earthquakes begin Stanford University
- Magma moving in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park slows, decreasing likelihood of Kīlauea eruption Big Island Now
- Photo and Video Chronology – Aerial and ground surveys of Kīlauea, response instrumentation | U.S. Geological Survey USGS (.gov)
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