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Hawaii scientists monitor earthquake swarm near Kilauea volcano
48 small quakes and counting on the Big Island as of Wednesday morning
HAWAII VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK, Hawaii: Scientists at the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory are keeping an eye on a swarm of small earthquakes around the active Kilauea volcano.
In its morning status report, HVO wrote that there “is an ongoing seismic swarm just northwest of the summit.”
From the Wednesday status report, updated at 7:29 HST:
A swarm of shallow earthquakes started after midnight last night about 5 km (3 mi) northwest of Halema`uma`u Crater that was ongoing as of this posting. Forty-eight earthquakes were strong enough to be located beneath Kilauea: 39 quakes within the Read more…
5.0 Earthquake Hits Hawaii, At Least 20 Aftershocks Felt
Residents and people vacationing in Hawaii on Sunday felt the effects of a magnitude 5.0 earthquake that rattled the area about 4 miles south of the active Pu’u O’o crater on the Kilauea volcano’s east rift zone.
According to reports the hypcentral depth was approximately 5 miles deep and there is no threat of a tsunami. No report damage was reported at the time of the earthquake.
According to reports a set of smaller quakes were reported within 10 minutes of the first quake and in the the Read more…
VIDEO: Bulging crater on Hawaii volcano mesmerizing portent
This Quicktime movie shows a timelapse sequence taken from a thermal camera on the rim of Pu`u `Ō `ō crater. The movie spans from May 26 to today and shows the rising level of the lava lake in the crater. In the first part of the movie, covering most of June, the level of the lava lake rises primarily due to overflows building the steep levee walls higher. In the last portion of the movie, from about July 1 to today, much of the rise of the lava lake has been due to uplift of the crater floor, carrying the lava lake upward. This uplift has been especially pronounced over the past few days, shown by the final few moments of the movie. The temperature scale is in degrees Celsius.
Video courtesy USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory
The bulging Pu`u `Ō `ō crater on the east rift zone of Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano is putting on a show, and there is no telling what could be next.
This USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory video shows a timelapse sequence taken from a thermal camera on the rim of Pu`u `Ō `ō crater.
The movie spans from May 26 to today and shows the rising level of the lava lake in the crater.
Things appear to be going slow in the first part of the movie, which shows the eruption during the month of June. You can see the level of the lava lake rises primarily due to overflows building the steep levee walls higher.
Scientists say sources within Pu`u `O`o crater are feeding that lava lake.
But its in the last portion of the movie where things get really interesting. From Read more…
Expanding Halo Of Light Seen From Hawaii
Hawaii Volcano May Overflow As Lava Levels Rise
Rising lava levels at the Kilauea volcano in Hawaii are being monitored closely by scientists.
Video released by the US Geological Survey showed a stream of orange molten rock gathering at the volcano’s Halema’uma’u vent.
It represents a natural phenomena scientists call a pyroclastic flow, with lava surging into a lake where temperatures can rise as high as 700C.
The lake, which is believed to have formed in the later part of 2009, has been reported to resemble an above-ground swimming pool.
But there are concerns the lava level could overflow the rim – while there was also new activity at the Puu Oo crater, which appeared to be draining lava until recently.
Kilauea crater lava lake grows
A raised lava lake, described by volcano scientists as looking “somewhat like an above-ground swimming pool,” has been building since lava returned to Pu‘u ‘O‘o crater in March, scientists from the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory reported.
The rim of the raised lava lake was about Read more…
800-Mile-Wide Hot Anomaly Found Under Seafloor off Hawaii

Photograph by Patrick McFeeley, National Geographic
Dave Mosher
Updated May 27, 2011 (First posted May 26, 2011)
Hawaii‘s traditional birth story—that the volcanic islands were, and are, fueled by a hot-rock plume running directly to Earth’s scorching core—could be toast, a new study hints.
(See pictures of a recent eruption Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano.)
Scientists say they’ve found solid evidence of a giant mass of hot rock under the seafloor in the region. But it’s not a plume running straight from the core to the surface—and it’s hundreds of miles west of the nearest Hawaiian island.
Until now, the researchers say, good seismic data on the region has been scarce, so it was tough to question the Read more…