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USGS · 70203484

The 2018 rift eruption and summit collapse of Kilauea Volcano

Christina A. Neal·Steven Brantley·Loren Antolik·Janet Babb·Matthew K. Burgess·Michael Cappos·Jefferson Chang·Sarah Conway·Liliana G. Desmither·Peter Dotray·Tamar Elias·Pauline Fukunaga·Steven Fuke·Ingrid A. Johanson·Kevan Kamibayashi·James P. Kauahikaua·R. Lopaka Lee·S. Pekalib·Asta Miklius·Brian Shiro·Don Swanson·Patricia A. Nadeau·Michael H. Zoeller·P. Okubo·Carolyn Parcheta·Matthew R. Patrick·William Tollett·Frank A. Trusdell·Edward F. Younger·Emily K. Montgomery-Brown·Kyle R. Anderson·Michael P. Poland·Jessica L. Ball·Joseph A. Bard·Michelle L. Coombs·Hannah R. Dietterich·Christoph Kern·Weston Thelen·Peter Cervelli·Tim R. Orr·Bruce F. Houghton·Cheryl Gansecki·Richard Hazlett·Paul R. Lundgren·Angela K. Diefenbach·Allan Lerner·Greg Waite·Peter J. Kelly·Laura E. Clor·Cynthia Werner·Katherine Mulliken·Gary B. Fisher·David Damby
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Abstract

In 2018, Kīlauea Volcano experienced its largest lower East Rift Zone (LERZ) eruption and caldera collapse in at least 200 years. After collapse of the Pu'u 'Ō'ō vent on 30 April, magma propagated downrift. Eruptive fissures opened in the LERZ on 3 May, eventually extending ~6.8 km. A 4 May earthquake (M6.9) produced ~5 m of fault slip. Lava erupted at rates exceeding 100 m3/s, eventually covering 35.5 km2. The summit magma system partially drained, producing minor explosions and near-daily collapses releasing energy equivalent to M4.7-M5.4 earthquakes. Activity declined rapidly on 4 August. Summit collapse and lava flow volume estimates are roughly equivalent--about 0.8 km3. Careful historical observation and monitoring of Kīlauea enabled successful forecasting of hazardous events.

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90° N90° S · 180° W ← longitude → 180° E
Source-reported bounding extent: 19.263507501734075° to 19.46432633709043° latitude; -155.31646728515625° to -155.03562927246094° longitude. This indicates report coverage, not an exact sampling location. View area on OpenStreetMap.

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Christina A. Neal, Steven Brantley, Loren Antolik, Janet Babb, Matthew K. Burgess, Michael Cappos, Jefferson Chang, Sarah Conway, Liliana G. Desmither, Peter Dotray, Tamar Elias, Pauline Fukunaga, Steven Fuke, Ingrid A. Johanson, Kevan Kamibayashi, James P. Kauahikaua, R. Lopaka Lee, S. Pekalib, Asta Miklius, Brian Shiro, Don Swanson, Patricia A. Nadeau, Michael H. Zoeller, P. Okubo, Carolyn Parcheta, Matthew R. Patrick, William Tollett, Frank A. Trusdell, Edward F. Younger, Emily K. Montgomery-Brown, Kyle R. Anderson, Michael P. Poland, Jessica L. Ball, Joseph A. Bard, Michelle L. Coombs, Hannah R. Dietterich, Christoph Kern, Weston Thelen, Peter Cervelli, Tim R. Orr, Bruce F. Houghton, Cheryl Gansecki, Richard Hazlett, Paul R. Lundgren, Angela K. Diefenbach, Allan Lerner, Greg Waite, Peter J. Kelly, Laura E. Clor, Cynthia Werner, Katherine Mulliken, Gary B. Fisher, David Damby. 2019. The 2018 rift eruption and summit collapse of Kilauea Volcano. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aav7046

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