Kīlaueaʻs open lava lake surface has shrunk by almost 25% over the past week, and gas emissions decreased as low lava output continues.
There is still liquid lava below the newly crusted areas on the northeast and southwest lake margins, but it loses some volume as it cools, degasses and compresses. As a result, the recently stagnant surface now sits 2-3 m (7-10 ft) lower than the active lava surface nearby, which itself has slowed its rise to only 0.5 m (1.6 ft) during the past week, only to regain its previous depth of 227 m (745 ft).
Latest on Kīlauea, Eruption Day 128, Week 18:
-Active lake surface shrinking appears to continue as of this writing; our estimates based on photos and map area calculations yield reductions of ~20% in the southwest and ~5% in the northeast.
-Another Deflation-Inflation cycle begins today, after completing the third leg of a triple DI over the first half of the week. No ooze-up flows along crater walls during the past 2 weeks.
-SO2 last week measured between 300 and 550 tonnes/day (USGS), among the lowest measurements for the current eruption.
-Caldera continues spreading, according to USGS GPS, with a possible increase in the extension rate following the recent slow-down over the past month. Seismic activity still within background levels, still focused mainly below the summit and South Flank.
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Source: Compilation and summary of USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory activity updates & online data, April 2021