Photo and Video Chronology — Leveling the UWE tiltmeter and moving a Kīlauea webcam | U.S. Geological Survey

Photo and Video Chronology — Leveling the UWE tiltmeter and moving a Kīlauea webcam

By Hawaiian Volcano Observatory July 3, 2024

On July 2, HVO field engineers re-leveled the UWE tiltmeter located near Uēkahuna bluff in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. On July 3, HVO geologists moved webcams monitoring Kīlauea's Southwest Rift Zone.

The UWE tiltmeter was approaching the edge of its scale range, having recorded over 300 microradians of deformation since it was last re-leveled in August 2018. On July 2, HVO field engineers successfully re-leveled the UWE tiltmeter. Data are temporarily showing an offset from the pre-releveling tilt trend; the offset will eventually be corrected with manual adjustments to better align the new data to old trends, providing a better, long-term representation of tilt deformation. Additionally, the instrument will need time to settle from physical disturbance during the manual re-leveling, a process that may last several weeks. While it settles, UWE tilt data will remain qualitatively useful, providing indications of short-term volcanic processes, such as magma ascent at the onset of an eruption or intrusion.

Color photograph of field engineer adjusting volcano-monitoring instrument

Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details

HVO field engineers access the UWE tiltmeter located near Uēkahuna bluff in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. USGS image by M. Warren.

Color photograph of field engineer vacuuming sand from a borehole

Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details

Before the UWE tiltmeter could be leveled, sand had to removed from the six-meter-deep (20 feet) borehole housing the tiltmeter. HVO field engineers use a high-power vacuum to remove the sand, in order to access the tiltmeter. USGS image by M. Warren.

View down a borehole hosting a volcano-monitoring instrument

Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details

A view down the borehole that houses the UWE tiltmeter. The UWE tiltmeter was installed in 1999 and it is an important instrument within HVO's Kīlauea monitoring network, providing data on the pressurization levels within the shallow magma storage body beneath Halema‘uma‘u. USGS image by M. Warren.

Color photograph of field engineer adjusting volcano-monitoring instrument

Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details

Once the sand was removed from the borehole, HVO field engineers could begin the process of leveling the UWE tiltmeter located at the base. As a field engineer manually nudges the tiltmeter in north-south and east-west directions, two voltmeters connected to the tiltmeter electronically provide information on the amount the instrument needed to be tilted in degrees. USGS image by M. Warren.

July 3, 2024 — Shifting webcam locations on Kīlauea's Southwest Rift Zone

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, and install a new temporary webcam nearby on Cone Peak. The S1cam now views Kīlauea's upper Southwest Rift Zone from near Cone Peak: [S1cam] - View of the upper Southwest Rift Zone of Kīlauea, view is to the south.

Color photograph of webcam on lava flow

Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details

This photo shows the temporary webcam removed today near the June 3 eruption site on Kīlauea's Southwest Rift Zone. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

Color photograph of scientist installing webcam

Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details

With permission from Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, a new temporary webcam was installed on Cone Peak, providing a better view of Kīlauea's Southwest Rift Zone. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

Color photograph of ground cracks and sulfur deposits

Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details

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.

Color photograph of ground cracks and sulfur deposits

Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details

Another view of sulfur deposits in and around cracks near the June 3 eruption site, on Kīlauea. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

Color photograph of sulfur crystals in ground crack

Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details

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.

Color photograph of ground cracks with yellow suflur

Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details

Sulfur deposits downwind of the cracks show the southwest direction of trade winds in Hawai‘i. These cracks were just uprift of the June 3 eruption site on Kīlauea. USGS photo by M. Patrick.

Continued inflation at the summit of Kīlauea

Color graphic showing ground deformation at summit of volcano — This map shows recent deformation at Kīlauea, over the timeframe of June 13 to June 29, 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 bullseye feature indicates inflation of the area southwest of Kaluapele over this time period. The northeast-southwest trending line-like feature reflects the intrusion (body of magma underground) that fed the June 3, 2024, eruption. Arrow in the upper left indicates satellite orbit direction (arrow) and look direction (bar). For information about interpreting interferograms, see this "Volcano Watch" article: Reading the rainbow: How to interpret an interferogram.

Was this page helpful?