Post-collapse gravity increase at the summit of Kīlauea Volcano, Hawaiʻi

Michael P. Poland; Elske de Zeeuw-van Dalfsen; Marco Bagnardi; Ingrid A. Johanson

doi:10.1029/2019gl084901

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Post-collapse gravity increase at the summit of Kīlauea Volcano, Hawaiʻi

Michael P. Poland·Elske de Zeeuw-van Dalfsen·Marco Bagnardi·Ingrid A. Johanson

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Abstract

We conducted gravity surveys of the summit area of Kīlauea Volcano, Hawaiʻi, in November 2018 and March 2019, with the goal of determining whether there was any mass change at depth following the volcano's May–August 2018 caldera collapse. Surface deformation between the two surveys was minimal, but we measured a gravity increase (maximum 44 μGal) centered on the caldera that can be modeled as mass accumulation in a region ~1 km beneath the surface. We interpret this mass increase to be mostly magma accumulation in void space that was created during the summit collapse. Caldera uplift was evident by April 2019, indicating that the magma volume had reached a point where pressurization could be sustained. Modeled gravity change suggests a maximum magma storage rate at Kīlauea's summit during November 2018 to March 2019 that is much less than the pre‐2018 magma supply rate to the volcano.

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Geophysical Research Letters Article

Source-reported bounding extent: 19.39212483416422° to 19.44134189745716° latitude; -155.29483795166016° to -155.23441314697266° longitude. This indicates report coverage, not an exact sampling location. View area on OpenStreetMap.

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Michael P. Poland, Elske de Zeeuw-van Dalfsen, Marco Bagnardi, Ingrid A. Johanson. 2019-12-27. Post-collapse gravity increase at the summit of Kīlauea Volcano, Hawaiʻi. https://doi.org/10.1029/2019gl084901

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