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Recent Mauna Loa Status Reports, Updates, and Information Releases

HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY BIWEEKLY UPDATETuesday, June 16, 2009 8:37 AM HST (Tuesday, June 16, 2009 18:37 UTC)

Report prepared by the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory:

MAUNA LOA VOLCANO (CAVW #1302-02=)
19°28'30" N 155°36'29" W, Summit Elevation 13681 ft (4170 m)
Current Aviation Color Code: YELLOW
Current Volcano Alert Level: ADVISORY

Mauna Loa is not erupting. Slow extension, as measured by GPS receivers on opposite sides of the volcano, continued. Line lengths have been increasing at a slightly faster rate since September, 2008, due mostly to slippage on basalt faults beneath Mauna Loa's east flank and not to an increase in magma supply to the volcano. Recent instrumental problems with a summit GPS receiver have produced more-than-usual data scatter - this problem will be corrected when weather permits.

Tiltmeters have recorded no significant changes other than abrupt offsets that are related to instrumental issues or significant earthquakes. Diurnal tilt, or the tilting due to daily heating and cooling of the ground, was diminished by snowfall starting Christmas Eve, 2008.

Sensors within a crack in Moku`aweoweo crater floor continued to record background gas concentrations and fumarole temperatures.

Since the beginning of January, 2005, HVO analysts have rarely located more than 10 earthquakes per week beneath Mauna Loa summit. Each week, 1-5 earthquakes are also located beneath the Kealakekua area of west Mauna Loa. These levels are typical of the past several years. The Kao`iki seismic zone between Mauna Loa and Kilauea volcano summits remained active with an average of about 10-40 earthquakes per week; these numbers may reflect increased seismic activity nearer Kilauea summit rather than increased Ka`oiki activity.

Maps, photos, webcam views, and other information about Mauna Loa Volcano are available at http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/hvo/activity/maunaloastatus.php.

A map with details of earthquakes located within the past two weeks can be found at http://tux.wr.usgs.gov/

A definition of alert levels can be found at http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/activity/alertsystem/index.php

The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory is one of five volcano observatories within the U.S. Geological Survey and is responsible for monitoring volcanoes and earthquakes in Hawai`i.

HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY BIWEEKLY UPDATETuesday, May 26, 2009 4:19 PM HST (Wednesday, May 27, 2009 02:19 UTC)

Report prepared by the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory:

MAUNA LOA VOLCANO (CAVW #1302-02=)
19°28'30" N 155°36'29" W, Summit Elevation 13681 ft (4170 m)
Current Aviation Color Code: YELLOW
Current Volcano Alert Level: ADVISORY

Mauna Loa is not erupting. Slow extension, as measured by GPS receivers on opposite sides of the volcano, continued. Line lengths have been increasing at a slightly faster rate since September, 2008, due mostly to slippage on basalt faults beneath Mauna Loa's east flank and not to an increase in magma supply to the volcano. Recent instrumental problems with a summit GPS receiver have produced more-than-usual data scatter - this problem will be corrected when weather permits.

Tiltmeters have recorded no significant changes other than abrupt offsets that are related to instrumental issues or significant earthquakes. Diurnal tilt, or the tilting due to daily heating and cooling of the ground, was diminished by snowfall starting Christmas Eve, 2008.

Sensors within a crack in Moku`aweoweo crater floor continued to record background gas concentrations; fumarole temperatures have increased slightly.

Since the beginning of January, 2005, HVO analysts have rarely located more than 10 earthquakes per week beneath Mauna Loa summit. Each week, 1-5 earthquakes are also located beneath the Kealakekua area of west Mauna Loa. These levels are typical of the past several years. The Kao`iki seismic zone between Mauna Loa and Kilauea volcano summits remained active with an average of about 10-40 earthquakes per week; these numbers may reflect increased seismic activity nearer Kilauea summit rather than increased Ka`oiki activity.

Maps, photos, webcam views, and other information about Mauna Loa Volcano are available at http://volcano.wr.usgs.gov/maunaloastatus.php.

A map with details of earthquakes located within the past two weeks can be found at http://tux.wr.usgs.gov/

A definition of alert levels can be found at http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/activity/alertsystem/index.php

The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory is one of five volcano observatories within the U.S. Geological Survey and is responsible for monitoring volcanoes and earthquakes in Hawai`i.

HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY BIWEEKLY UPDATEMonday, April 27, 2009 5:50 PM HST (Tuesday, April 28, 2009 03:50 UTC)

Report prepared by the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory:

MAUNA LOA VOLCANO (CAVW #1302-02=)
19°28'30" N 155°36'29" W, Summit Elevation 13681 ft (4170 m)
Current Aviation Color Code: YELLOW
Current Volcano Alert Level: ADVISORY

Mauna Loa is not erupting. Slow extension, as measured by GPS receivers on opposite sides of the volcano, continued. Line lengths have been increasing at a slightly faster rate since September, 2008, due mostly to slippage on basalt faults beneath Mauna Loa's east flank and not to an increase in magma supply to the volcano. Recent instrumental problems with a summit GPS receiver have produced more-than-usual data scatter - this problem will be corrected when weather permits.

Tiltmeters have recorded no significant changes other than abrupt offsets that are related to instrumental issues or significant earthquakes. Diurnal tilt, or the tilting due to daily heating and cooling of the ground, was diminished by snowfall starting Christmas Eve, 2008.

Sensors within a crack in Moku`aweoweo crater floor continued to record background gas concentrations; fumarole temperatures also remained steady except for a few several-hour-long periods of temperature decrease due to snowfall.

Since the beginning of January, 2005, HVO analysts have rarely located more than 10 earthquakes per week beneath Mauna Loa summit. Each week, 1-5 earthquakes are also located beneath the Kealakekua area of west Mauna Loa. These levels are typical of the past several years. The Kao`iki seismic zone between Mauna Loa and Kilauea volcano summits remained active with an average of about 10-40 earthquakes per week; these numbers may reflect increased seismic activity nearer Kilauea summit rather than increased Ka`oiki activity.

Maps, photos, webcam views, and other information about Mauna Loa Volcano are available at http://volcano.wr.usgs.gov/maunaloastatus.php.

A map with details of earthquakes located within the past two weeks can be found at http://tux.wr.usgs.gov/

A definition of alert levels can be found at http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/2006/warnschemes.html

The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory is one of five volcano observatories within the U.S. Geological Survey and is responsible for monitoring volcanoes and earthquakes in Hawai`i.

Update Archive

Older updates can be found using the HVO Archive Form.

New Update Format

For more information about the Volcano Alert Level and Aviation Color Code, please see the U.S. Geological Survey's Alert Notification System for Volcanic Activity Fact Sheet (pdf) or the USGS Volcanic Activity Alert-Notification System web page.

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Page Last Modified: Thursday, 02-Apr-2009 13:32:44 (dyv)