Aloha, it's your weekly Volcano Minute, brought to you by the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. 

The six new eruptive vents that opened along the western wall of Halemaʻumaʻu between September 14th and 16th, offered scientists a new glimpse into Kīlauea's evolving magma system.

The vents appeared after weeks of increasing pressure beneath the summit, following episode 54 of lava fountaining in late August. Instruments around the summit recorded steady inflation, but unlike previous episodes, lava overflows did not lead directly to new fountaining activity.

What surprised scientists most was how quietly the vents opened. There were no significant earthquakes and almost no detectable ground deformation. Satellite radar images also showed little surface movement. 

To understand where the lava came from, USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologists collected molten samples of lava that they quickly cooled with water. Laboratory analyses showed the lava matched material from the shallow magma chamber beneath Halemaʻumaʻu and did not contain evidence of new deep magma entering the system.

The findings suggest that in September, magma simply found the easiest pathway to the surface, possibly quietly passing through existing cracks or pathways. This is very different from the September 30th to October 1rst intrusion at Kīlauea summit. Though lava didn’t make it to the surface then, over 100 earthquakes and significant ground surface deformation occurred as new cracks formed on the caldera floor.  

With continued pressurization beneath Kīlauea, scientists say additional changes remain possible both underground and at the surface in the summit region. No anomalous activity has been detected in Kīlauea’s rift zones. 

Mahalo for listening, I’m Katie Mulliken and this was your weekly volcano minute brought to you by the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.