Upslope lava flow activity persists

The upslope portion of the June 27 lava flow continued to host three active breakouts Friday morning, the U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory reports.

Scientists, using webcams to assess the flow, said that the Feb. 21 breakout remains active on the northern flank of Puu Oo, as does the March 9 breakout near Puu Kahaualea. Breakouts also remained active about 3 to 4 miles northeast of Kilauea Volcano’s Puu Oo crater.

There are no other areas of breakouts along the June 27 flow field located within Kilauea Volcano’s East Rift Zone, scientists said. All downslope areas remained quiet.

Tiltmeters positioned at Kilauea’s summit, which on Friday continued to host an active lava lake, did not record any significant changes during the past two days. Tiltmeters are used to measure tiny changes in the slope angle or “tilt” of the ground. Summit seismic tremor also persists with episodic bursts accompanying spattering and temporary drops in lava level, according to HVO.

In addition, earthquake activity remained slightly elevated in the Southwest Rift Zone midway between the summit caldera and the ocean.

The tiltmeter on the north flank of Puu Oo recorded minor variations.

The U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory on March 25 downgraded its alert level for Kilauea Volcano from a “warning” to a “watch.”