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Photo and Video Chronology – Hawaiian Volcano Observatory – April 14, 2023

By Hawaiian Volcano Observatory April 14, 2023

HVO scientists visited the rim of Halemaʻumaʻu crater, at the summit of Kīlauea. The summit eruption of Kīlauea volcano ended on March 7, 2023. No significant changes have been observed at the summit or in either rift zone over the past week.

HVO scientists collect detailed data to assess hazards and understand volcanic activity, all of which are shared with the National Park Service and emergency managers. Access to this hazardous area is by permission from, and in coordination with, Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. 

April 14, 2023 — Clear skies at Kīlauea summit

Color photograph of caldera
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During a morning visit to Halema‘uma‘u rim on April 14, Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologists had clear views across Kīlauea summit caldera. Kīlauea stopped erupting on March 7; currently, only steam and minor gas emissions are being emitted at the summit. USGS image by K. Mulliken.

 

 

Color photograph of crater floor
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A view from the west rim of Halema‘uma‘u crater the morning of April 14, 2023. In the foreground, the brown-colored island of tephra that formed in the early parts of the December 2020 eruption is clearly visible. This feature, which was prominent for months after it formed, has been slowly getting smaller in size as subsequent lava flows on the base of Halema‘uma‘u crater fill in around it. In the background, the basin that was active during the most recent January-March 2023 eruption, is visible. USGS image by K. Mulliken.
Color photograph of volcanic vent
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The west vent area within Halema‘uma‘u crater, at the summit of Kīlauea, viewed from the west rim of the crater. This vent was active during the September 2021-December 2022 eruption. An area near the west vent has persistently elevated temperatures visible in the F1 thermal cam, despite no active lava being visible for the past month. The lava lake basin that formed during the September 2021-December 2022 eruption is visible in the background. USGS image by K. Mulliken.
Color photograph of crater floor
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The lava lake basin that formed during the September 2021-December 2022 eruption was steaming the morning of April 14, 2023. This lava lake formed in the western half of Halema‘uma‘u crater and is part of a tapestry of deposits that have formed during different Kīlauea summit eruptions over the past several years. USGS image by K. Mulliken.
Color photograph of crater wall
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Steam (white) and volcanic gas (bluish) were visibly emitting from Halema‘uma‘u crater the morning of April 14, 2023, along the eastern wall of the crater. Sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions from Kīlauea summit remain low; the most recent SO2 emission rate of approximately 110 tonnes per day (t/d) was measured on April 5. USGS image by K. Mulliken.
Color photograph of crater wall
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A portion of Crater Rim Drive which fell into Halema‘uma‘u crater during the 2018 summit collapse remains visible on a block perched on the south wall of the crater (center of photo). The road's yellow center line makes a straight mark visible along the center of the block. Prior to 2018, Crater Rim Drive circumnavigated Kīlauea summit caldera, within Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. USGS image by K. Mulliken.

March 11 and 15, 2023 — USGS Geophysicists perform annual gravity survey of Kīlauea

 

Color photograph of scientists on caldera floor
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USGS geophysicists take gravity measurements on the dropped-down block of Kīlauea as part of annual monitoring. Annual microgravity surveys are crucial in confirming whether ongoing uplift or subsidence is caused by magma intrusion or withdrawal. Scientists conduct these surveys using small, shoebox-sized instruments called relative gravimeters that can measure a change in the force of gravity to one-in-one billionth of the force you feel every day. USGS photo by A. Ellis.
Color photograph of scientist in the field
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USGS scientist, Mike Poland, measures gravity using a gravimeter on the caldera floor of Kīlauea. Measurements of gravity can be used to determine how mass is distributed beneath a volcano. At Kīlauea, the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) performs routine microgravity surveys to monitor volcanic activity and to determine changes in gravity. USGS photo by A. Ellis.

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