Alert Level: ADVISORY, Color Code: YELLOW 2020-09-24 19:56:17 UTC



HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY WEEKLY UPDATE

U.S. Geological Survey

Thursday, September 24, 2020, 9:56 AM HST (Thursday, September 24, 2020, 19:56 UTC)

Activity Summary: Mauna Loa Volcano is not erupting. Rates of deformation and seismicity have not changed significantly over the past week and remain above long-term background levels.



Observations:



Over the past week, HVO seismometers recorded approximately 103 small-magnitude earthquakes - all below M3.0 - beneath the volcano's summit and upper-elevation flanks. The majority of these earthquakes occurred at shallow depths of less than 8 kilometers (approximately 5 miles) below ground level.



Global Positioning System (GPS) measurements continue to indicate slow, long-term summit inflation, consistent with magma supply to the volcano's shallow storage system.



Gas concentrations and fumarole temperatures at both the summit and Sulphur Cone on the Southwest Rift Zone remain stable.



Webcam views have revealed no changes to the landscape over the past week.



For more information on current monitoring of Mauna Loa Volcano, see: https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/volcanoes/mauna_loa/monitoring_summary.html







HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY WEEKLY UPDATE

U.S. Geological Survey

Thursday, September 17, 2020, 11:42 AM HST (Thursday, September 17, 2020, 21:42 UTC)

Activity Summary: Mauna Loa Volcano is not erupting. Rates of deformation and seismicity have not changed significantly over the past week and remain above long-term background levels.



Observations:



Over the past week, HVO seismometers recorded approximately 67 small-magnitude earthquakes - all below M2.5 - beneath the volcano's summit and upper-elevation flanks. The majority of these earthquakes occurred at shallow depths of less than 8 kilometers (approximately 5 miles) below ground level.



Global Positioning System (GPS) measurements continue to indicate slow, long-term summit inflation, consistent with magma supply to the volcano's shallow storage system.



Gas concentrations and fumarole temperatures at both the summit and Sulphur Cone on the Southwest Rift Zone remain stable.



Webcam views have revealed no changes to the landscape over the past week.



For more information on current monitoring of Mauna Loa Volcano, see: https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/volcanoes/mauna_loa/monitoring_summary.html







(VNUM #332020)19°28'30" N 155°36'29" W, Summit Elevation 13681 ft (4170 m)Current Volcano Alert Level: ADVISORYCurrent Aviation Color Code: YELLOWMauna Loa is the largest active volcano on our planet, rising gradually to 4,170 m (13,681 ft) above sea level. Its long submarine flanks descend an additional 5 km (3 mi) below sea level to the ocean floor. The ocean floor directly beneath Mauna Loa is, in turn, depressed by the volcano's great mass another 8 km (5 mi). This places Mauna Loa's summit about 17 km (56,000 ft) above its base. The enormous volcano covers half of the Island of Hawaiʻi.Eruptions typically start at the summit and, within minutes to months of eruption onset, about half of the eruptions migrate into either the Northeast or Southwest Rift Zones. Since 1843, the volcano has erupted 33 times with intervals between eruptions ranging from months to decades. Mauna Loa last erupted 35 years ago, in 1984.Mauna Loa eruptions tend to produce voluminous, fast-moving lava flows that can impact communities on the east and west sides of the Island of Hawaiʻi. Since the mid-19th century, the city of Hilo in east Hawaiʻi has been threatened by seven Mauna Loa lava flows. Mauna Loa lava flows have reached the south and west coasts of the island eight times: 1859, 1868, 1887, 1926, 1919, and three times in 1950.Activity summary for Mauna Loa is also available by phone: (808) 967-8866Subscribe to these messages: https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/vns2/Webcam images: https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/volcanoes/mauna_loa/multimedia_webcams.htmlPhotos/video: https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/volcanoes/mauna_loa/multimedia_chronology.htmlFAQs of Mauna Loa: https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/observatories/hvo/faq_maunaloa.htmlSummary of volcanic hazards from eruptions: https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/observatories/hvo/hawaii_hazards.htmlRecent earthquakes in Hawaiʻi (map and list): https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/volcanoes/mauna_loa/monitoring_summary.htmlExplanation of Volcano Alert Levels and Aviation Color Codes: https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/vhp/about_alerts.htmlaskHVO@usgs.govThe Hawaiian Volcano Observatory is one of five volcano observatories within the U.S. Geological Survey and is responsible for monitoring volcanoes and earthquakes in Hawaiʻi.(VNUM #332020)19°28'30" N 155°36'29" W, Summit Elevation 13681 ft (4170 m)Current Volcano Alert Level: ADVISORYCurrent Aviation Color Code: YELLOWMauna Loa is the largest active volcano on our planet, rising gradually to 4,170 m (13,681 ft) above sea level. Its long submarine flanks descend an additional 5 km (3 mi) below sea level to the ocean floor. The ocean floor directly beneath Mauna Loa is, in turn, depressed by the volcano's great mass another 8 km (5 mi). This places Mauna Loa's summit about 17 km (56,000 ft) above its base. The enormous volcano covers half of the Island of Hawaiʻi.Eruptions typically start at the summit and, within minutes to months of eruption onset, about half of the eruptions migrate into either the Northeast or Southwest Rift Zones. Since 1843, the volcano has erupted 33 times with intervals between eruptions ranging from months to decades. Mauna Loa last erupted 35 years ago, in 1984.Mauna Loa eruptions tend to produce voluminous, fast-moving lava flows that can impact communities on the east and west sides of the Island of Hawaiʻi. Since the mid-19th century, the city of Hilo in east Hawaiʻi has been threatened by seven Mauna Loa lava flows. Mauna Loa lava flows have reached the south and west coasts of the island eight times: 1859, 1868, 1887, 1926, 1919, and three times in 1950.Activity summary for Mauna Loa is also available by phone: (808) 967-8866Subscribe to these messages: https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/vns2/Webcam images: https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/volcanoes/mauna_loa/multimedia_webcams.htmlPhotos/video: https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/volcanoes/mauna_loa/multimedia_chronology.htmlFAQs of Mauna Loa: https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/observatories/hvo/faq_maunaloa.htmlSummary of volcanic hazards from eruptions: https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/observatories/hvo/hawaii_hazards.htmlRecent earthquakes in Hawaiʻi (map and list): https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/volcanoes/mauna_loa/monitoring_summary.htmlExplanation of Volcano Alert Levels and Aviation Color Codes: https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/vhp/about_alerts.htmlaskHVO@usgs.govThe Hawaiian Volcano Observatory is one of five volcano observatories within the U.S. Geological Survey and is responsible for monitoring volcanoes and earthquakes in Hawaiʻi.