The lava lake at Kilauea Volcano’s summit continues to rise, U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists reported Thursday.
As of Thursday morning, the lava lake was about 174 feet below the floor of Halemaumau, scientists said. Seismic episodic bursts associated with spattering within the Overlook vent continued.
Since Monday, the lake level has risen approximately 66 feet. However, it remains out of view from Jaggar Museum within Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. The rise in the lava lake level comes amid a period of inflation that began earlier this week at the summit. 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.
The lava lake has fluctuated since lava overflowed the crater rim periodically between April 21 and May 10 amid a period of increased activity at the summit of Kilauea Volcano that drew thousands to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park to view.
Seismicity rates beneath the summit were at background levels during the past day, scientists said.
Meanwhile, the June 27 lava flow remained active within about 5 miles of the Puu Oo vent, scientists said.
At Puu Oo, scientists noted a “very minor but observable” lava flow from the southern pit complex within the vent that occurred between 1:40 and 3 a.m.
The tiltmeter, which is used to measure tiny changes in the “tilt” or angle of the ground, on the vent’s north flank continued to show no significant tilt. Seismicity rates there were also at normal background levels.
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