Tiltmeters record abrupt inflation at Kilauea Volcano summit

Tiltmeters positioned at the summit of Kilauea Volcano on Tuesday afternoon recorded an abrupt increase in inflation.

The “abrupt inflation” started about 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists said. According to deformation statistics posted on the USGS HVO website, the inflation continued Wednesday afternoon.

“The magnitude of change is still small, however, and it is too soon to determine what effect, if any, this might have on the summit eruption, or even if it will continue,” scientists said. During inflation, magma rises into the summit reservoir, according to the observatory. The summit reservoir enters the deflation portion of the cycle when the magma moves laterally into a rift zone and either erupts or is stored there.

On Wednesday, the level of the summit lava lake continued fluctuate between 100 and 130 feet below the rim of the Halemaumau Overlook crater. Summit seismic tremor continued with episodic bursts accompanying spattering and temporary drops in lava levels.

Meanwhile, lava flow activity within Kilauea Volcano’s Puu Oo crater that filled the crater floor earlier this week has ceased, according to scientists. Lava that had pooled on the crater floor had partly drained away by Tuesday afternoon. The tiltmeter, which is used to measure tiny changes in the slope angle or “tilt” of the ground, on the north flank of Puu Oo recorded no significant change in ground tilt during the past 24 hours.

Scientists, who continue to use webcams to observe the flow, said breakouts along the June 27 lava flow remain active within 4 miles of Puu Oo.

The U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory on March 25 downgraded its alert level for Kilauea Volcano from a “warning” to a “watch.”