A Bit Worrisome

Yes this is a bit worrisome. Earthquakes woke Barbara up at 3:00 AM. I didn't feel a thing. Here is the report from the Volcano Observatory. This image was taken some months ago but it is pretty much the same now. This is the lava flowing into the ocean. It causes this plume. This shot was taken from Chain Of Craters Road, the road the park service just closed.

Hawaiian Volcano Observatory
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Recent Status Report, Updates, and Information Releases
Kilauea Information Release issued Jun 17, 2007 05:26 HST Volcanic-Alert Level WATCH
- Aviation Color Code ORANGE
Report prepared by the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory:

Early Morning Earthquake Swarm Beneath Kīlauea’s Upper East Rift Zone

About 70 shallow earthquakes in 2 hours occurred beneath the upper east rift zone
of Kīlauea early this morning. The swarm began at 2:15 a.m. on Sunday, June 17 and
is ongoing. The earthquakes are centered 1 km (1 mile) southwest of Mauna Ulu and
are concentrated between 1.5 and 3 kilometers (1-2 miles) deep. As of 4:30 a.m.,
ten of the quakes had magnitudes greater than 3 and were felt by nearby residents.
All data so far is consistent with the event being a shallow intrusion of magma.
The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory is watching the situation closely and has deployed
field crews to the scene.

Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park has taken the following precautionary measures:
Chain of Craters road is closed. Crater Rim Drive is closed between Jaggar museum
and the Thurston lava tube parking lot. NPS personnel are sweeping both roads to
evacuate visitors.


Kilauea Information Release issued Jun 17, 2007 08:06 HST Volcanic-Alert Level WATCH
- Aviation Color Code ORANGE
Report prepared by the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory:

Summary: A swarm of earthquakes and rapid deflation started at 2:15 a.m. in the
upper east rift zone near Mauna Ulu. The event is most likely an intrusion of magma.
Low magnitude earthquakes are continuing at a rate of one per minute. The summit
tiltmeter network recorded strong changes nearest the focus of earthquakes with
smaller responses in the summit caldera and even smaller at Pu`u `O`o vent.

The summit continues to expand at slow rates. Kilauea volcano continues to erupt
from the Pu`u `O`o vent on the East Rift Zone. Lava feeds Pu`u `O`o crater vents,
vents in collapse areas on the south side of Pu`u `O`o cone, and the PKK tube, which
feeds two lava tube systems, named the Petunia and Campout tubes. The Petunia flow
continues to advance and came over the top of Pulama pali about June 14. The Campout
tube is feeding widespread surface flows on the west side of the flow field and
the Poupou ocean entry.

The last 24 hours at Kilauea summit: An earthquake swarm started at 2:15 a.m. with
at least 70 quakes recorded in the first two hours. At least 10 of those quakes
were magnitude-3.0 or greater. As of this writing, earthquakes of approximately
magnitude-1.0 are occurring at a rate of one per minute. The earthquake activity
is centered between Mauna Ulu and Pauahi crater. The tiltmeter network recorded
significant deflation, consistent with extension across the upper east rift zone
and summit. Seismic tremor remains at low levels.