Kilauea Daily Update for 9/13/07

Current Kilauea status from HVO:

Kilauea Daily Update issued Sep 13, 2007 09:46 HST Volcanic-Alert Level WATCH – Aviation Color Code ORANGE
Report prepared by the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO):

Activity Summary: The 7/21 eruption continues to supply an open lava channel that overflowed at several points within 1 km (0.6 mile) of the vent in the last day, producing several small flows, all less than 1 km (0.6 miles) in length. The `a`a flow along the southern margin is currently the most visible point of growth since the last report, and continues to show minor expansion near and northeast of Kupaianaha.

Hazard Summary: There are no immediate threats directly from lava flows. A publication detailing the current and potential future hazards posed by this eruption is available at http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2007/1264/.

Vent areas are hazardous and conditions can change rapidly. Access to the 7/21 eruption site in the Kahauale`a Natural Area Reserve is closed (see http://www.state.hi.us/dlnr/chair/pio/HtmlNR/07-N076.htm). Lava flows advancing through vegetation are hazardous and can produce fire and methane explosions that propel chunks of lava and rock several feet into the air.

Last 24 hours at 7/21 eruption site: The vent continued to supply a full and active lava channel about 1 km (0.6 miles) long. Channel overflows produced scattered small flows and toes of lava to the north, all less than a few hundred meters (several hundred feet) in length. The heightened near-vent activity has effectively captured the supply and stalled advancement of the most easterly (distal) end of the flowfield. The current effusion is producing minor lobe advancements only to the east and south margins, near Kupaianaha. The recent flow activity continues to contribute to the thickness and breadth of the flow field, but not its length.

Last 24 hours at Pu`u `O`o crater: The webcam continues to show lots of fume by day but no incandescence overnight. The tiltmeter on the north flank of Pu`u `O`o shows slow steady deflation, losing 0.8 microradians since yesterday’s update. Seismic tremor levels remain low.

Last 24 hours at Kilauea summit: Kilauea’s summit tilt is continuing a trend of slow deflation, losing 0.6 microradians. Summit seismicity remains low. Just a few small earthquakes were recorded on the volcano’s south flank.

Pavlof Daily Update for 9/13/07

Current Pavlof status from AVO:

Thursday, September 13, 2007 12:10 PM AKDT (2010 UTC)

PAVLOF VOLCANO (CAVW#1102-03-)
55°24′57″ N161°53′24″ W, Summit Elevation 8261 ft (2518 m)
Current Aviation Color Code: ORANGE
Current Volcano Alert Level: Watch

The eruption of Pavlof continues. Seismic activity continues to fluctuate over levels consistent with those observed during the past week. Satellite views continue to show persistent thermal anomalies at the volcano. A partly clear view by satellite last night showed a steam plume to ~20,000 feet above sea level, otherwise views have been obscured by clouds. A brief view of Pavlof by the web camera in Cold Bay showed no steam plume this morning.

If activity should increase in intensity, larger ash clouds that could affect higher-flying aircraft may be produced. The most immediate ground hazard in the vicinity of the volcano includes light ash fall on nearby communities. Previous historical eruptions from Pavlof caused only a few millimeters (about 1/10th of an inch) of ash to fall on King Cove, Nelson Lagoon, Cold Bay, and Sand Point. Mudflows in drainages from the flanks of the volcano, and lava flows and avalanching of hot debris on the upper reaches of the volcano are also of concern in the uninhabited areas around the volcano. Satellite and seismic data and eyewitness observations suggest most of the surface lava activity is occurring on the southeast sector of the steep-sided volcano; this suggests that the Pacific Ocean side of the volcano is at most risk from avalanching hot debris.

At this time, we expect this eruption to follow the pattern of previous eruptions. The last eruption of Pavlof began in September 1996 and consisted of a several-month-long series of ash explosions, lava-fountaining, and lava-flow production. Ash clouds reached as high as 30,000 ft asl on one occasion. However, most ash clouds were below 20,000 ft asl. Prior to 1996, Pavlof erupted in 1986 sending ash as high as 49,000 ft asl on at least one occasion. A hazard assessment for Pavlof and the Emmons Lake volcanic center is available on the web at http://www.avo.alaska.edu/pdfs/SIR2006-5248.pdf

Cleveland Daily Update for 9/13/07

Current Cleveland status form AVO:

Thursday, September 13, 2007 12:10 PM AKDT (2010 UTC)

CLEVELAND VOLCANO (CAVW#1101-24-)
52°49′20″ N169°56′42″ W, Summit Elevation 5676 ft (1730 m)
Current Aviation Color Code: YELLOW
Current Volcano Alert Level: Advisory

Clouds obscured views of the volcano by satellite and web camera today.

AVO continues to monitor the volcano closely with satellite imagery as weather allows. The lack of a real-time seismic network at Cleveland means that AVO is unable to track local earthquake activity related to volcanic unrest. Short-lived explosions of ash that could exceed 20,000 ft above sea level can occur without warning and may go undetected on satellite imagery.

Cleveland Daily Update for 9/13/07

Current Cleveland status form AVO:

Thursday, September 13, 2007 12:10 PM AKDT (2010 UTC)

CLEVELAND VOLCANO (CAVW#1101-24-)
52°49′20″ N169°56′42″ W, Summit Elevation 5676 ft (1730 m)
Current Aviation Color Code: YELLOW
Current Volcano Alert Level: Advisory

Clouds obscured views of the volcano by satellite and web camera today.

AVO continues to monitor the volcano closely with satellite imagery as weather allows. The lack of a real-time seismic network at Cleveland means that AVO is unable to track local earthquake activity related to volcanic unrest. Short-lived explosions of ash that could exceed 20,000 ft above sea level can occur without warning and may go undetected on satellite imagery.

Mount St. Helens Daily Update for 9/13/07

Current Mount St. Helens status from CVO:

Thursday, September 13, 2007 09:08 PDT (Thursday, September 13, 2007 16:08 UTC)

MOUNT ST. HELENS UPDATE
Current Volcanic- Alert Level WATCH; Aviation Color Code ORANGE: Growth of the new lava dome inside the crater of Mount St. Helens continues, accompanied by low rates of seismicity, low emissions of steam and volcanic gases, and minor production of ash. During such eruptions, changes in the level of activity can occur over days to months. The eruption could intensify suddenly or with little warning and produce explosions that cause hazardous conditions within several miles of the crater and farther downwind. Small lahars could suddenly descend the Toutle River if triggered by heavy rain or by interaction of hot rocks with snow and ice. These lahars pose a negligible hazard below the Sediment Retention Structure (SRS) but could pose a hazard along the river channel upstream.

Potential ash hazards: Wind forecasts from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), coupled with eruption models, show that any ash clouds rising above the crater rim today would drift to the west.

Potential ash hazards to aviation: Under current eruptive conditions, small, short-lived explosions may produce ash clouds that exceed 30,000 feet in altitude. Ash from such events can travel 100 miles or more downwind.

Recent observations: The sky is clear at the volcano, although fog persists in the valley. From the USFS camera at Johnston Ridge, dust plumes can be seen in the crater and drifting above the crater rim due to wind remobilizing old ash and other fine-grained material. This is a common occurrence when we have stretches of hot dry weather has we have had this past week. Low-level earthquake activity and rates of deformation continue to accompany the extrusion of the lava dome.

Long Valley Daily Update for 9/13/07

Current Long Valley status from LVO:

Long Valley Daily Update issued Sep 13, 2007 09:05 PDT Volcanic-Alert Level NORMAL – Aviation Color Code GREEN
The realtime computer system located one small earthquake in the vicinity of Long Valley caldera since the last update at 8:30 AM on September 12. This was a M=1.4 event located just west of Lake Crowley at 8:28 AM on the 13th. Elsewhere, occasional activity continues in the area just south of Yosemite National Park (24 miles WSW of Mammoth Lakes) with yet another M=2.2 earthquake. This one at 1:10 AM on the 13th.

Pavlof Daily Update for 9/12/07

Current Pavlof status from AVO:

Wednesday, September 12, 2007 12:10 PM AKDT (2010 UTC)

PAVLOF VOLCANO (CAVW#1102-03-)
55°24′57″ N161°53′24″ W, Summit Elevation 8261 ft (2518 m)
Current Aviation Color Code: ORANGE
Current Volcano Alert Level: Watch

The eruption of Pavlof continues. Seismic activity continues to fluctuate over levels consistent with those observed during the past week. Satellite views continue to show persistent thermal anomalies at the volcano. The web camera in Cold Bay was obscured by clouds today.

If activity should increase in intensity, larger ash clouds that could affect higher-flying aircraft may be produced. The most immediate ground hazard in the vicinity of the volcano includes light ash fall on nearby communities. Previous historical eruptions from Pavlof caused only a few millimeters (about 1/10th of an inch) of ash to fall on King Cove, Nelson Lagoon, Cold Bay, and Sand Point. Mudflows in drainages from the flanks of the volcano, and lava flows and avalanching of hot debris on the upper reaches of the volcano are also of concern in the uninhabited areas around the volcano. Satellite and seismic data and eyewitness observations suggest most of the surface lava activity is occurring on the southeast sector of the steep-sided volcano; this suggests that the Pacific Ocean side of the volcano is at most risk from avalanching hot debris.

At this time, we expect this eruption to follow the pattern of previous eruptions. The last eruption of Pavlof began in September 1996 and consisted of a several-month-long series of ash explosions, lava-fountaining, and lava-flow production. Ash clouds reached as high as 30,000 ft asl on one occasion. However, most ash clouds were below 20,000 ft asl. Prior to 1996, Pavlof erupted in 1986 sending ash as high as 49,000 ft asl on at least one occasion. A hazard assessment for Pavlof and the Emmons Lake volcanic center is available on the web at http://www.avo.alaska.edu/pdfs/SIR2006-5248.pdf

Kilauea Daily Update for 9/12/07

Current Kilauea status from HVO:

Kilauea Daily Update issued Sep 12, 2007 09:20 HST Volcanic-Alert Level WATCH – Aviation Color Code ORANGE
Report prepared by the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO):

Activity Summary: The 7/21 eruption continued to supply an open channel; the channel overflowed at several points within 1 km (0.6 mile) of the vent, producing several small flows, all less than 1 km (0.6 miles) in length. The `a`a flow along the southern margin has become somewhat more active since the last report, but showing only minor advancement near Kupaianaha.

Hazard Summary: There are no immediate threats directly from lava flows. A publication detailing the current and potential future hazards posed by this eruption is available at http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2007/1264/.

Vent areas are hazardous and conditions can change rapidly. Access to the 7/21 eruption site in the Kahauale`a Natural Area Reserve is closed (see http://www.state.hi.us/dlnr/chair/pio/HtmlNR/07-N076.htm). Lava flows advancing through vegetation are hazardous and can produce fire and methane explosions that propel chunks of lava and rock several feet into the air.

Last 24 hours at 7/21 eruption site: The vent continued to supply a full and active lava channel about 1 km (0.6 miles) long. Channel overflows produced scattered small flows to the north, all less than a few hundred meters (several hundred feet) in length. Yesterday, a field crew reported that the backup at the Fissure D1 vent, reported that morning effectively buried the D2 source before the obstruction that caused backup cleared. The heightened near-vent activity has effectively stalled advancement of the most easterly (distal) end of the flowfield and is currently producing minor lobe advancements only to the east and south, near Kupaianaha. The recent flow activity continues to contribute to the thickness and breadth of the flow field, but not its length.

Last 24 hours at Pu`u `O`o crater: The webcam continues to show lots of fume by day but no incandescence overnight. The tiltmeter on the north flank of Pu`u `O`o shows slow steady deflation, losing 0.3 microradians since yesterday’s update. Seismic tremor levels remain low.

Last 24 hours at Kilauea summit: Kilauea’s summit tilt is continuing a trend of slow deflation. Summit seismicity remains low. One small earthquake was recorded on the volcano’s south flank.

Cleveland Daily Update for 9/12/07

Current Cleveland status from AVO:

Wednesday, September 12, 2007 12:10 PM AKDT (2010 UTC)

CLEVELAND VOLCANO (CAVW#1101-24-)
52°49′20″ N169°56′42″ W, Summit Elevation 5676 ft (1730 m)
Current Aviation Color Code: YELLOW
Current Volcano Alert Level: Advisory

Clouds obscured views of the volcano by satellite and web camera today.

AVO continues to monitor the volcano closely with satellite imagery as weather allows. The lack of a real-time seismic network at Cleveland means that AVO is unable to track local earthquake activity related to volcanic unrest. Short-lived explosions of ash that could exceed 20,000 ft above sea level can occur without warning and may go undetected on satellite imagery.

Mount St. Helens Daily Update for 9/12/07

Current Mount St. Helens status from CVO:

Wednesday, September 12, 2007 09:03 PDT (Wednesday, September 12, 2007 16:03 UTC)

MOUNT ST. HELENS UPDATE
Current Volcanic- Alert Level WATCH; Aviation Color Code ORANGE: Growth of the new lava dome inside the crater of Mount St. Helens continues, accompanied by low rates of seismicity, low emissions of steam and volcanic gases, and minor production of ash. During such eruptions, changes in the level of activity can occur over days to months. The eruption could intensify suddenly or with little warning and produce explosions that cause hazardous conditions within several miles of the crater and farther downwind. Small lahars could suddenly descend the Toutle River if triggered by heavy rain or by interaction of hot rocks with snow and ice. These lahars pose a negligible hazard below the Sediment Retention Structure (SRS) but could pose a hazard along the river channel upstream.

Potential ash hazards: Wind forecasts from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), coupled with eruption models, show that any ash clouds rising above the crater rim today would drift to the East.

Potential ash hazards to aviation: Under current eruptive conditions, small, short-lived explosions may produce ash clouds that exceed 30,000 feet in altitude. Ash from such events can travel 100 miles or more downwind.

Recent observations: Although this morning brought low overcast to the Vancouver area, camera views show skies at Mt. St. Helens to be clear and sunny. A thin plume is rising from the growing lava dome and drifting with the prevailing winds to the East over the crater rim. No significant changes in the volcano’s behavior have been noted overnight. Volcano activity continues with on-going seismicity, deformation, and rockfalls from the crater walls and growing dome.