Collapse within lava lake at Kilauea volcano (Hawaii) and powerful eruptions of Bezymianny (Kamchatka)

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Kīlauea Volcano on Hawaii continues to erupt at its summit. Scientists report recent collapses within the Halema‘uma‘u lava lake that have slightly changed the size and geometry of the lava lake. The recent rock falls occurred on December 5 at 4:40 a.m. and on December 7 at 6:56 p.m. – removed thin slices of the older lithic wall and enlarged the lake to the north, giving it a kidney bean shape.

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Picture shows the areas that collapsed on December 5 at 4:40 am (right), and December 7 at 6:56 pm (left). via USGS

The collapses were not large enough to produce explosive events but did trigger seismic signals and lake surface agitation along with spattering for tens of minutes.

The lava lake surface was measured at 121 ft. below the rim of the Overlook Vent Monday morning. USGS says summit tiltmeters have recorded inflationary tilt over the past day, and sulfur dioxide emission rates remain high.

In Kamchatka, the Bezymyanny volcano erupted on December 20, 2017 sending a huge plume of ahs and gas up to 15,000 meters above sea level.

The ash plume stretches over 50 kilometers and drifts toward NE. Ashfalls have been reported in the villages of Klyuchi and Ust-Kamchatsk in the Ust-Kamchatsky District. Residents have been advised to protect themselves if going outside.

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Bezymianny eruption in Kamchatka on December 20, 2017. via VK.com
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Bezymianny eruption in Kamchatka on December 20, 2017. via VK.com
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Bezymianny eruption in Kamchatka on December 20, 2017. via VK.com
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Bezymianny eruption in Kamchatka on December 20, 2017. via VK.com
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Bezymianny eruption in Kamchatka on December 20, 2017. via VK.com
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Bezymianny eruption in Kamchatka on December 20, 2017. via VK.com
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Bezymianny eruption in Kamchatka on December 20, 2017. via VK.com
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Bezymianny eruption in Kamchatka on December 20, 2017. via VK.com
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Bezymianny eruption in Kamchatka on December 20, 2017. via VK.com

Due to turbulent weather, the ash cloud has now settled at an altitude of 7 kilometers. The volcano is under aviation hazard code “orange,” meaning that small particles of ash can enter flying aircraft and helicopters. So I wouldn’t want to fly right now overthere!

Keep safe and Merry Christmas!

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2 Comments

  1. […] Kīlauea Volcano on Hawaii continues to erupt at its summit. Scientists report recent collapses within the Halema‘uma‘u lava lake that have slightly changed the size and geometry of the lava lake. The recent rock falls occurred on December 5 at 4:40 a.m. and on December 7 at 6:56 p.m. – removed thin slices of the older lithic wall and enlarged the lake to the north, giving it a kidney bean shape. Read More… […]

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