
Today’s Eruption Summary
The USGS has updated the energy release for yesterday evening’s summit collapse to M5.5. (For more info: “Why Do Earthquake Magnitudes Sometimes Change?” from a 2016 issue of Volcano Watch by HVO.)
Fissure 8 exhibited surge behavior afterwards. Overnight, drone crews observed minor overflows just northwest of Kapoho Cone, most of which were confined to the existing flow field and/or stopped before traveling far enough to threaten structures.

Ikaika Marzo, a lava tour boat operator who stays a sensible distance from shore, reportedly saw lava is in Isaac Hale Park, within 50 m of Pohoiki boat ramp at 7:15 this evening.
No summit collapse today, unless the pattern changes; the next one ought to occur tomorrow morning.
Here’s highlights of the USGS Media Conference Call from this afternoon:
Full audio file archived here.
From Other Scientists
June & July 2018 Kilauea, Hawaii #lidar datasets are now available for download from OT. Data from @USGS, USACE, U. Houston, & other partners. See news item for data access, image slider, & ex topographic profile: https://t.co/3Y5TvxitE7 #KilaueaEruption #Kilauea #Volcano pic.twitter.com/LzHWxvINnU
— OpenTopography (@OpenTopography) July 23, 2018
From Local News Media
- HNN: “Turtles, marine life found dead in Pohoiki after lava approaches area”
- HTH: “Scientists get rare chance to collect data on impact of lava on marine life, sea water”
- HSA: “‘Lava bomb’ isn’t just hyperbole“
- HNN: “More cracks reported along Hawaii Island’s Highway 11“
- HTH: “County warns of cracks in Highway 11 near national park”
- HSA: “Hawaii to get $3.5M in federal funding for Kilauea cleanup efforts”
- HCB: “Passengers Recount Moments After Lava Hit Tour Boat“
@HotSeatHawaii morning overflight
Mick Kalber posted two overflight videos today. Here’s July 23— he said wind conditions made it difficult to document the Leilani portion of the eruption today:
Also posted today: July 22 overflight video. Notes/observations for both of these days: July 22 | July 23
And Bruce Omori posted HD camera still photos from this same flight.
Monday, July 23, 2018, 6:00 am – Kilauea's lower east rift zone overflight: A view of the new sand bar that formed when flows began encroaching upon Pohoiki.
Posted by Extreme Exposure Fine Art Gallery on Monday, July 23, 2018
Monday, July 23, 2018, 6:00 am – Kilauea's lower east rift zone overflight: Inland margins of the flow field have…
Posted by Extreme Exposure Fine Art Gallery on Monday, July 23, 2018
Monday, July 23, 2018, 6:00 am – Kilauea's lower east rift zone overflight: Low cloud cover prevented us from accessing…
Posted by Extreme Exposure Fine Art Gallery on Monday, July 23, 2018
See 14 more Bruce Omori photos plus notes. (They also livestreamed this flight on Twitter, but that cam is lower quality.)
USGS Q&A on Social Media
[The following FAQ looks to have been composed in June, even though HVO just announced it on Twitter. However, the explanation of summit collapses and subsidence remains the same, since July was “more of same.”]
#Kilauea #Volcanoʻs Summit has seen a lot of change since mid May.
Read our new #FAQ about the #subsidence #deformation. https://t.co/i35fTE1cgG#KilaueaEruption #KilaueaEruptionPhoto from July 21, 2018 #TypeA #collapse event. pic.twitter.com/4WqvN2Q5fC
— USGS Volcanoes🌋 (@USGSVolcanoes) July 23, 2018
Q: Re: caption on South Sulphur Bank photo — has Kīlauea caldera been filled with 65 m of lava in 150 years?
USGS: Yes, that’s what it implies. A 300-year period of explosive activity ended in 1823, after which effusive activity (lava flows) slowly filled the summit caldera. You can read about the history here: https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/volcanoes/kilauea/geo_hist_summary.html
Q: [Is there a source that covers the lava flows/eruptions mentioned on that page in more depth?]
USGS: For that you’ll want to check out the “Eruptions of Hawaiian Volcanoes – Past, Present and Future” book found here: https://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/117/
Q: Is there a perched pond forming by Kapoho Crater?
USGS: There is an area at the bend in the channel where there has typically been ponding, yes. It has fed some overflows.
Q: [Belated question: how did that island form offshore from lava delta?]
USGS: One idea is that it was an inflationary feature – underwater lava flows crusted over, then inflated themselves with more lava and pushed the ‘island’ above water. It later became connected to the delta with an isthmus, which may have formed over the lava supply location.


Q: [Where can we find records of sulfate measurements throughout this eruption?]
USGS: Gas measurements are made intermittently, unlike seismic/deformation monitoring. Some have been posted in HVO updates (https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/volcanoes/kilauea/status.html …) and chronology (https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/vsc/file_mngr/file-179/Chronology%20of%20events%202018.pdf …) but for regular monitoring, you’d have to look at air-quality stations: https://vog.ivhhn.org/
Rumor Whack-a-Mole
[Again debunking that “puff emissions = magma returning to summit” claim by a self-proclaimed expert who’s taken in a lot of people on YouTube.]
Q [John Calvert]: Aloha ~ what do you make of the “puff emissions” that have been happening? Does this signal a possible return of magma to the caldera? (sorry if this has already be asked). Mahalo!
USGS: No “puffing” emissions. Steam rises from crater b/c rain water enters the ground and is heated by surrounding rocks. A long-time process @ Kilauea summit. Also, steam often prevalent in morning b/c of dew point. Subsidence = magma draining. Inflation will signal magma return.
[Kīlauea has always wafted up puffs of steam like this, long before the current eruption. In fact, any volcano with hot rocks near the surface may do this, as I witnessed a year ago.]

Other Photographers and Social Media
Sadly, lava is moving into #Pohoiki and feet away from the boat ramp at Isaac Hale Park. Locals do not expect Pohoiki to be standing by morning due to a surge of lava moving through now. Here's pictures we took there in happier days with Ikaika Marzo. #KilaueaEruption pic.twitter.com/fL7b1dd7Sy
— the Weatherboy (@theWeatherboy) July 24, 2018
Sad day today. Good chance Pohoiki will be taken today. Lava have moved almost 200yards in one day. The new ocean entry…
Posted by Ikaika Marzo on Monday, July 23, 2018