Images

A Hawaiian Volcano Observatory gas scientist works to install a newly calibrated Multi-Gas instrument at the Sulfur Cone site. At an elevation of 3,430 meters (11,240 feet) above sea level, the air is rare! Working conditions are far more strenuous for HVO field teams at these high elevations due to the much lower levels of oxygen in the air to breathe.

On August 2,2024, Hawaiian Volcano Observatory Gas Scientists flew via helicopter to the Sulfur Cone Multi-Gas instrumentation site on Mauna Loa's Southwest Rift Zone, which is at an elevation of 3,430 meters (11,240 feet) above sea level.

This photograph shows the inside of the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) Multi-Gas site at Sulfur Cone. Currently, HVO has 2 of these continuous gas monitoring sites in operation on the Island of Hawai‘i. This one at Sulfur Cone high on Mauna Loa's Southwest Rift Zone, along with one at the summit of Kīlauea.

This photograph shows the inside of the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) Multi-Gas site at Sulfur Cone. Currently, HVO has 2 of these continuous gas monitoring sites in operation on the Island of Hawai‘i. This one at Sulfur Cone high on Mauna Loa's Southwest Rift Zone, along with one at the summit of Kīlauea.

The continuously monitoring Multi-Gas instrument at Sulfur Cone is housed inside the black Pelican case shown here. Air is pulled into the instrument via a small pump to be analyzed for volcanic gases (Sulfur Dioxide, Hydrogen Sulfide, Carbon Dioxide and Water Vapor).

A Hawaiian Volcano Observatory gas scientist works on installing a newly calibrated Multi-Gas instrument at the Sulfur Cone gas monitoring site high up on Mauna Loa's Southwest Rift Zone at an elevation of 3,430 meters (11,240 feet) above sea level. USGS photo by M. Cappos.

This photo shows the gas monitoring site layout at Sulfur Cone. On the left side of the photo is the power/telemetry system which powers the Multi-Gas instrument and sends data back to HVO via radio to be later analyzed by HVO gas scientists.

Left: 2024 HVO PIPES intern Kamalani Poepoe and colleagues prepare samples from Kīlauea’s June 2024 eruption for analysis. Top Right: Kamalani gets instruction on how to perform eruption response tasks on the rim of Halemaʻumaʻu. Lower Right: Kamalani presenting her work at the 2024 PIPES symposium in Honolulu, HI. 

Figure caption: Example waveforms showing a T-phase arriving from the M7.4 Chile earthquake on July 19, 2024 (left).  This T-phase event is compared to a local tremor burst deep beneath Pāhala on July 30, 2024 (right).  The plots show time for several stations in the HVO network.  The T-phase moves more slowly across the network which is represented b

Map of Island of Hawaiʻi, highlighting the four active or potentially active volcanoes of the Island, the number of people living on each volcano based on 2020 census data, major roads (transportation corridors) and minor roads (proxy for population density), when each volcano last erupted, and each volcano’s national threat assessment designation.

This reference map depicts recent unrest along Kīlauea's upper East Rift Zone. Earthquakes that occurred between July 22–25, 2024, are shown as yellow circles. Recent ground deformation in this region, over the timeframe of July 15-24, 2024, is shown as colored fringes; data were recorded by the Italian Space Agency's (ASI) Cosmo-SkyMED satellite.

On July 25, USGS-Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) staff again drove down the closed portion of Chain of Craters Road in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park to check for any damage related to the July 22-25 intrusion on Kīlauea's upper East Rift Zone. They found many new small cracks in Chain of Craters Road, including this one, near Hiʻiaka Crater.

This map shows recent deformation at Kīlauea, over the timeframe of July 15-24, 2024. Data were recorded by the Italian Space Agency's (ASI) Cosmo-SkyMED satellite. Colored fringes denote areas of ground deformation, with more fringes indicating more deformation.  Each color cycle represents 1.5 cm (0.6 in) of ground motion.

On July 23, USGS-Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) staff drove down the closed portion of Chain of Craters Road in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park to check for any damage related to the July 22-25 intrusion on Kīlauea's upper East Rift Zone.

This map shows recent deformation at Kīlauea, over the timeframe of June 6 to July 8, 2024. Data was recorded by the Italian Space Agency's (ASI) Cosmo-SkyMED satellite. Colored fringes denote areas of ground deformation, with more fringes indicating more deformation.  Each color cycle represents 1.5 cm (0.6 in) of ground motion.

The Community Internet Intensity Map for the magnitude-4.1 earthquake on July 6, 2024, on the Island of Hawaiʻi (location shown by star). Felt reports show the intensity of shaking during the earthquake across the Island of Hawaiʻi. Not shown are felt reports from Maui and Lanaʻi for this event. 

A close up view of delicate sulfur crystals in one of the cracks near the June 3 eruption site, on Kīlauea. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

View of the broomsedge grass in the Puhimau thermal area on the upper East Rift Zone of Kīlauea. The Puhimau thermal area is apparent on both sides of Chain of Craters Road in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. USGS image by K. Mulliken. 

Once the sand was removed from the borehole, HVO field engineers could begin the process of leveling the UWE tiltmeter located at the base.

HVO geologists visited Kīlauea's Southwest Rift Zone and site of the June 3 eruption. The mission was to remove the temporary webcams deployed during that eruption, given a new temporary webcam nearby on Cone Peak. This photo shows the temporary webcam removed today near the June 3 eruption site. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

While HVO geologists were moving temporary webcams, they revisited the site of the June 3 eruption. This photo looks downrift, with the June 3 pad of lava in the upper right. Extensive cracking uprift of the fissure had weak residual outgassing and vibrant sulfur deposits. USGS photo by M. Patrick.