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Kilauea volcano update: phase of lava lake’s passive overturn, lava has reemerged within Halema’uma’u

Reappeared lava within the Halemaʻumaʻu last night (image: HVO)

Reappeared lava within the Halemaʻumaʻu last night (image: HVO)

The Halemaʻumaʻu lava lake started to solidify between 6 and 9 December with an estimated crust thickness of less than 3 feet.

The HVO cites further: „Small pods of lava appeared on the crust in the northeast corner of the formerly active lava lake just before noon today, December 14. The weight of the small lava flows on top of the crust caused the immediate area to founder and overturn exposing the underlying lava within Halemaʻumaʻu crater.
Following each overturn, another small flow progressed onto the adjacent crust, causing another 5-10% of the adjacent lake crust to founder and sink.
The process repeated itself over the next several hours and by 4 p.m. HST today the entire surface of the small lava lake was resurfaced with new crust. This process is driven by hotter, buoyant lava rising below the lakeʻs surface and weighing down the surface crust causing it to sink. Passive overturns are not uncommon in cooling lava lakes and this activity may be repeated during the next several weeks.“

The passive overturn started before noon and continued until 04:00 PM on 14 December, later by exposing new lava at the surface of the lake.

The seismic tremor itself has not restored nor strong degassing or a rapid supply of lava from the west vent that could signalize reactivation of the eruption.

Sulfur dioxide emissions significantly decreased, however, local SO2 or H2S concentrations may sustain in downwind areas. Significant hazards also remain around Halemaʻumaʻu from crater wall instability, ground cracking, and rockfalls that can be enhanced by earthquakes within the area closed to the public.

The resumption of the activity is not ruled out at or near the summit of Kīlauea.

A timelapse of overturning exposes the underlying lava within the Halemaʻumaʻu lava lake from noon of 14 Dec until yesterday morning (source: Hawaii Tracker)