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Magma budget during 1959 Kīlauea Iki eruption, Kīlauea Volc., Hawai‘i

Detailed Description

Illustration shows the volume of magma that (1) erupted into and drained back from Kīlauea Iki Crater; (2) rose into the summit reservoir from depth; and (3) probably intruded into the upper East Rift Zone of Kīlauea Volcano during the 1959 summit eruption. Note that the illustrations are not to scale; M=million.

Top left: Magma reservoir before the summit eruption began.

Top right: By the end of episode 1, a net 30 million cubic meters (39 million cubic yards) of magma had been withdrawn from the summit reservoir and emplaced into Kīlauea Iki Crater.

Bottom left: During episodes 2-17, magma rose into the summit reservoir from depth, erupted into and drained back from Kīlauea Iki Crater (leaving only a net 8 million cubic meters (10 million cubic yards) of lava in the lava lake), and probably intruded into the upper East Rift Zone of Kīlauea Volcano.

Bottom right: By the time the eruption ended, the summit reservoir had gained a net 10 million cubic meters (13 million cubic yards) of magma.

Sources/Usage

Public Domain.

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