A Magma Pulse Detected

After a very prolonged - three full days - cessation of detectable magma chamber pressure beneath the Kilauea Volcano, a pulse has blipped onto the graphs this morning.This inflation first returned at 2:00 AM this morning and continues. The inflation is only for the Kilauea Caldera region and has not as yet shown up further down the rift at Pu`u O`o.

There are no recent earthquakes associated with this inflationary event.

We will have to continue watching & waiting to see if this inflation continues to rise and if it shows up at the eruption sites around the Pu`u O`o crater vent in the hours and days forward. Even a high spike in both monitor locations will not automatically manifest a return to the surface flows of molten lava down the slopes and into the ocean. After such a long cessation of visible molten lava there can be many changes as to location and direction the reemergence of lava may take.

Again: it’s a watch & wait situation.