USGS volcano warning Kilauea eruptive activity

ALERT USGS http://bit.ly/a3DzhL

Activity Summary for past 24 hours: The switch to DI inflation occurred midday yesterday while Kilauea eruptive activity continued at two locations. The summit eruptive vent within Halema`uma`u Crater hosted a crusted and circulating lava pond that produced red glow visible from the Jaggar Museum overnight. In the east rift zone, lava flowed from the TEB vent through tubes to supply active surface flows that advanced through the intersection of coastal highways 130 and 137 and were continuing to the east toward nearby houses. Sulfur dioxide emission rates from the summit and east rift zone vents remained elevated.

Past 24 hours at Kilauea summit: The summit tiltmeter network recorded the switch to DI inflation at 11:20 am yesterday. Seismic tremor levels were at elevated and variable values typical of the last several weeks. The network of GPS receivers recorded contraction of the summit since June 16.

The level of the crusted and circulating lava surface at the bottom of the deep collapse pit inset in the southeast edge of Halema`uma`u Crater was not visible for much of the day yesterday blocked by thick fume but when it did become visible via webcam in the evening, the level was slowly rising probably in response to DI inflation. When weather permitted, glow within the vent gas plume was visible from the Jaggar Museum Overlook and in the HVO webcam overnight.

Two deep earthquakes were strong enough to be located beneath Kilauea volcano - one beneath the east summit caldera and one on south flank faults.

The summit gas plume was moving to the southwest this morning. The most recent (preliminary) sulfur dioxide emission rate measurement was 700 tonnes/day on July 16, 2010, still above the 2003-2007 (pre-summit eruption) average of 140 tonnes/day.

Past 24 hours at the middle east rift zone vents and flow field: The tiltmeter on the north flank of Pu`u `O`o recorded the switch to DI inflation before 2 pm yesterday. Seismic tremor continued to be episodic with amplitudes dropping abruptly every 30 minutes or so then progressively building up to pre-episodic tremor levels before dropping again; the pattern started to change around 6 pm last night with the interval between tremor bursts increasing from about 30 minutes to nearly 4 hours. GPS receivers on and around Pu`u `O`o cone recorded contraction since June 16. There was no incandescence within Pu`u `O`o crater last night.

The most recent (preliminary) sulfur dioxide emission rate measurement from east rift zone vents was 400 tonnes/day on July 16, 2010, much lower than the 2003-2007 (pre-summit eruption) average of 1,700 tonnes/day but typical of the low rates since early March, 2010.

Lava from the TEB vent flowed through tubes that carried lava down-slope to feed active surface flows that advanced through the coastal highway 130/137 intersection over the weekend; active surface flows continued eastward advancing to within 70 m (230 ft) of the nearest structure as reported by HVO geologists at 8 pm last night; a second set of active lava lobes was approximately 1 km (0.6 miles) to the northwest and also advancing toward this general area. Surface activity continued through dawn as suggested by thermal anomalies recorded in GOES-WEST imagery this morning.

Update in Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) format