December 24, 2020 - Volcanic Activity in Hawaii

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   Volcanic Activity in Hawaii
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   After several weeks of steadily increasing seismic rumbling and ground
   deformation, Kilauea Volcano began a dramatic eruption on December 20.
   According to the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) observation cameras
   detected a glow within Halema`uma`u Crater at the summit of Kilauea at
   9:30 p.m. Hawaiian Standard Time (2:00 p.m. EST), indicating an
   eruption had begun. Three fissures subsequently opened in the walls of
   Halema`uma`u Crater releasing flowing lava. As the lava interacted with
   the lake at the summit of Kilauea a large plume of steam rose over the
   volcano. Once the water had boiled away, lava began to pond in the
   lake. Fountains of lava reached as high as 50 meters (164 feet).

   The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board
   NASA’s Terra satellite acquired a true-color image of the eruption on
   December 21. A red “hot spot” can be seen at the edge of cloud on
   Kilauea’s summit, marking the location where the thermal bands on the
   MODIS instrument detected high temperatures caused by lava. A plume of
   volcanic ash, water vapor, and sulfur dioxide gas streams towards the
   southwest over the ocean.

   As of December 23, the volcano continues active eruption. The HVO
   estimated that the growing crater lake was 143 m (470 feet) deep with a
   surface area of 22 ha (54 acres). Sulfur dioxide emission rates are
   estimated at 30,000 tonnes/day (33,069 US tons/day). Seismicity remains
   elevated but stable, with a few minor earthquakes and tremors related
   to vigorous fountaining from the fissures.

   Kilauea is the most active and youngest of the Hawaiian shield
   volcanoes, remaining in near-constant eruption. The volcano had
   maintained a low level of non-eruptive unrest since the end of the 2018
   eruption and summit collapse, which deepened the Halema`uma`u Crater. A
   lake began to form in the crater in July 2019. Increased rates of
   uplift were detected by GPS stations beginning in September 2020, and
   increased earthquake rates began in late November 2020. By December 17,
   long-period seismic signals beneath the summit increased, suggesting
   magmatic activity.

   According to the HVO, it is unclear how long the current eruption will
   continue. Kilauea summit eruptions over the past 200 years have lasted
   from less than a day to more than a decade.

   Image Facts
   Satellite:  Terra
   Date Acquired: 12/21/2020
   Resolutions:  1km (78 KB),  500m (252.8 KB),  250m (690.3 KB)
   Bands Used: 1,4,3
   Image Credit: MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC



https://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/individual.php?db_date=2020-12-24
 
