Summary
March 29, 2008, 07:190 from USGS Eruption Update -- Last 24 hours at Kilauea summit: Eruption of ash continued with a switch to a white plume just before 3 pm yesterday. Further analysis of ash fall data during the 3/27 white plume period showed that ash production did not diminish as was first thought. Instead, it appeared that the ash in the white plume contained more volcanic glass than ash from a brown plume. There were no new explosions. The base of the plume glowed dimly and incandescent fragments were ejected sporadically. Seismic tremor levels increased slightly when the plume turned to white. The summit tiltmeter network recorded no tilt signal above typical daily oscillations. Two small earthquakes were located beneath an area immediately to the east of Halema`uma`u Crater and one was located on south flank faults.
The sulfur dioxide (SO2) emission rate from the summit continued to be elevated and was about 750-830 tonnes/day on Mar. 27 (measured twice,), compared to a background rate of between 150-200 tonnes/day. The reduced emissions were obtained on the white plume and are expected to increase with the resumption of the brown plume as has been observed earlier this week.
Sulfur dioxide concentrations were again below concern at Jaggar museum and Kilauea Visitors Center. Trade (northeasterly) winds kept gas emissions in the south caldera where SO2 concentrations were up to 40 ppm in areas downwind of Halema`uma`u Crater along Crater Rim Drive (mostly between Halema`uma`u parking lot and the southwest rift zone pullout during trade winds) and up to 140 ppm near the Halema`uma`u overlook close to the new vent.
Basic Information
| Incident Type | Volcanic Eruption |
|---|---|
| Date of Origin | 02/18/2008 at 00 hrs. |
| Location | Halema'uma'u |
| Incident Commander | Talmadge Mangno |
Current Situation
| Total Personnel | Not available |
|---|---|
| Size | 100 acres |
| Significant Events | Not available |
Outlook
| Planned Actions | Incident management has transitioned back to the Hawai'i Volcanos NPs Type III team from the NPS Western IMT. Short and long term contingency plans are in place for a variety of scenarios, including elevated sulfur dioxide levels, explosive events, and lava eruptions. The main concern remains a wind shift that would blow the sulfur dioxide (SO2) plume into the main areas of the park and the community of Volcano. Emission rates from the summit of Kilauea volcano continue to be elevated at about 1,200 tons/day, compared to a normal background rate of between 150 and 200 tons/day. Once the gas is released into the air, the danger it poses to human health is directly related to its concentration. Higher concentrations are found downwind of the source, so changes in wind direction and speed can bring gases at hazardous concentrations into different areas. Trade (northeasterly) winds keep gas emissions in the south caldera, an area of the park currently closed to the public. When the winds shift or die down, SO2 concentrations can rise in areas still open to visitation. (See the plume venting from the wall of Halema‘uma‘u crater at http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/cam3/). |
|---|---|
| Remarks | Not available |
Weather
| Current Wind Conditions | Not available |
|---|---|
| Current Temperature | Not available |
| Current Humidity | Not available |
