Images

On February 3, 2024, a team of HVO scientists documented new ground cracks in three areas of the Maunaiki Trail in the Ka‘ū Desert, caused by the intrusion at Kīlauea south of the summit caldera. These cracks primarily cut the loose Keanakāko‘i tephra which blanketed the region in 1790 CE. Some cracks were over 100 feet (30 meters) long.

On February 3, 2024, a team of HVO scientists documented new ground cracks along the Maunaiki Trail in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, caused by the recent intrusion southwest of Kaluapele (Kīlauea caldera). These cracks primarily cut the loose Keanakāko‘i tephra which blanketed the region in 1790 CE. Some cracks were over 100 feet (30 meters) long.

This photo shows a crack in spatter and lava previously erupted on the Southwest Rift Zone of Kīlauea, with a geologist for scale. The crack likely widened during the recent intrusion southwest of the summit of Kīlauea.

On February 3, 2024, a team of HVO scientists documented ground cracks in three areas, caused by ground deformation from the intrusion at Kīlauea south of the summit caldera. There were many new cracks and some pre-existing cracks in the area widened.

This map shows recent unrest at Kīlauea volcano. Yellow circles mark earthquake locations from January 31, 2024, through February 3, 2024, as recorded by HVO seismometers. Seismicity began early January 31 in the summit region and shifted to the southwest along the Koa‘e fault system late on January 31, 2024.

Earthquakes located by the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory on February 2, 2024. USGS image. 

One of the temporary GPS stations deployed in response to the intrusive activity southwest of Kīlauea summit. The metal disk on the ground beneath the tripod is the benchmark, which is cemented to the lava flow surface. A high-precision GPS unit is centered over the benchmark to collect data.

Hawaiian Volcano Observatory staff deployed a temporary GPS monitoring instruments in the Ka‘ū Desert, with permission from Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, on February 2, 2024. The site will improve monitoring, hazard analysis, event response, and situational awareness in response to the volcanic unrest at Kīlauea that starting late January 2024. USGS photo by A.

This map shows recent unrest at Kīlauea volcano. Yellow circles mark earthquake locations from January 31, 2024 through 6:00 a.m. HST February 2, 2024, as recorded by HVO seismometers. Seismicity began early January 31 in the summit region and shifted to the southwest along the Koa‘e fault system late on January 31, 2024.

USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory lead electronics technician Kevan Kamibayashi helps to deploy a temporary GPS monitoring instrument in the Ka‘ū Desert of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park.

This image shows ground deformation during the recent intrusive activity at Kīlauea volcano. Unlike previous shared interferograms, note that this one is isolated to a one-day timeframe from 6 p.m. HST on January 31 through 6 p.m. HST on February 1, 2024. It therefore highlights the volcanic signals, with reduced interference from sources of data noise.

On February 2, 2024, a temporary GPS monitoring instrument was deployed at a location with existing HVO geophysical volcano monitoring instrumentation. The site is telemetered and will transmit data back to HVO that will aid in monitoring the Southwest Rift Zone region of Kīlauea volcano. USGS photo by A. Ellis.

HVO deployed two temporary GPS monitoring instruments in the Ka‘ū Desert, with permission from Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. These sites will improve monitoring, hazard analysis, event response, and situational awareness in response to the volcanic unrest at Kīlauea that starting late January 2024.

Left photo: Cities on Volcanoes 12 mid-conference field trip participants walk next to buildings of the La Reunión Golf Resort damaged by pyroclastic flows during the June 3, 2018, eruption of Fuego volcano. Fuego volcano is in the background, with a minor explosion underway and a small volcanic ash plume rising from the summit. USGS image.

HVO geologist Baylee McDade shows students from the UHH petrology class how to use the scanning electron microscope (SEM) to analyze minerals. Research in the SEM lab helps HVO and UHH to better understand how and why volcanoes in Hawai‘i erupt. USGS photo by Lis Gallant, public domain. 

Barry Periatt (left panelist), Hawaii County Civil Defense Agency, participating in panel discussion, "Lessons from recent eruptions and other crises," at the Cities on Volcanoes 12 conference in Antigua, Guatemala.

This map shows recent unrest at Kīlauea volcano. Yellow circles mark earthquake locations from January 31, 2024, through noon on February 1, 2024, as recorded by HVO seismometers. Seismicity began early January 31 in the summit region and shifted to the southwest along the Koa‘e fault system late on January 31, 2024.

Recent maintenance work was done on the KWcam (webcam) and F1cam (thermal camera), which are primary cameras used for monitoring activity at the summit of Kīlauea. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

Unrest continues at Kīlauea with heightened seismic activity and ground tilt changes. On January 31, HVO geologists were stationed on the west rim of Kaluapele (Kīlauea caldera) to document the onset of any eruptive activity at the summit. Numerous earthquakes shook the rim and frequent rockfalls occurred on the walls of Halema‘uma‘u crater.

Map showing the subaerial extents of lava flows and explosive deposits from Kīlauea, 1750–2023. Lava flow hazard zones and districts of the County of Hawai‘i are also depicted.

Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologists visited HVO's former office at Uēkahuna bluff, on Kīlauea's caldera rim, for likely the last time. Their job was to remove the remaining webcams in the observation tower of the Okamura Building, above the former Jaggar Museum. Here, one of the geologists dismantles a webcam with Mauna Loa volcano in the background.