![]() “Signals that have preceded eruptions include upward migration of earthquakes, sustained strong harmonic tremor, accelerated deformation and overall increase in earthquakes.”īecause of that heightened unrest, however, the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory changed its messaging from weekly to daily updates. “The locations of recent shallow earthquakes are similar to those prior to the 19 Mauna Loa eruptions, but other precursory signals are missing,” according to the Frequently Asked Questions about Mauna Loa Volcano. However, no significant surface deformation has been seen in the past week. Global positioning system instruments at the summit and on the volcano’s flanks also continue to measure inflation at rates elevated since mid-September. Both regions have historically been seismically active during periods of unrest on Mauna Loa. The update said 43 small-magnitude earthquakes from 2-3 miles below Mokuʻāweoweo caldera and 4-5 miles beneath the upper-elevation northwest flank of Mauna Loa were detected from Thursday to Friday. “As the reservoir expands, it is triggering small earthquakes directly beneath Mokuʻāweoweo caldera and in a region just to the northwest of the caldera.” “The unrest is likely caused by renewed input of magma into Mauna Loa’s summit reservoir system,” the observatory said in its Mauna Loa daily update Friday. Seismic activity below the volcano’s summit and caldera spiked in late September, with Hawaiian Volcano Observatory instruments recording as many as 100 quakes a day at certain points. It’s been nearly 40 years since the volcano last erupted and it has been in a period of heightened unrest since September. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory monitoring Mauna Loa is no reason for travelers to alter their travel plans to Hawai‘i Island or any of the Hawaiian Islands at this time,” the state tourism agency said in its Oct. “Mauna Loa volcano is not erupting at this time and recent news of the U.S. This possibly would impact the interpretation of some of the air samples taken during this period.The hype has even been enough for the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority to put out a message reassuring travelers, reminding them that Hawai‘i is a dynamic and ever-changing place. The source of the air in this counter flow region is not well understood, but appears to come from levels below the station altitude at least occasionally. At night the region between the aerosol peak and 600 m is often flowing upslope, counter to the downslope surface flow. The aerosol generally decreases to upper tropospheric values with a distinct change in the rate of decrease at 600 m above the ground. Aerosol profiles, measured with a unique technique called CLidar or camera lidar, often increase and show a peak between 60 and 160 meters. Temperature inversions form at sunset in the first 50 meters above the ground. ![]() ![]() The radiation wind dominates when the off-island winds are low and opposite is true when the off-island winds are strong. The off-island wind interacts with the mountain to create a barrier wind. The radiation wind has a magnitude of 2.5-3.0 m/s. The bright sun, dark lava surface, and the seven percent grade of the mountain create a surface radiation wind that changes from upslope in the daytime to downslope after sunset. The NOAA Mauna Loa Observatory is an atmospheric monitoring station on the North side of Mauna Loa Volcano (4169 m summit) located at an altitude of 3396 m. ![]()
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