GoKawiilUSGS documents 2023 Kilauea fountain eruptions with dense sensor network
Researchers at the US Geological Survey report detailed observations of lava fountaining episodes at Hawaii's Kilauea volcano, gathered using 35 monitoring stations tracking seismic activity, gas emissions, and thermal imagery. The study notes that since a 2018 eruption drained a reservoir, inflation rates accelerated from 22 cm a year starting in 2019 to 57 cm a year by 2023, spreading to a nearby caldera.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The data could help scientists refine theories about what physically drives lava fountains, a phenomenon observed at only a handful of sites worldwide including Etna and Iceland, but whose underlying mechanism remains unclear. Better understanding of reservoir inflation and pressure buildup may eventually improve forecasting of when and how such eruptions occur, though the researchers stop short of claiming a settled explanation.
- Kilauea has had only three major fountaining episodes since 1823 despite being Hawaii's most active volcano.
- A dense network of 35 monitoring stations provided unusually detailed data on the 2023 eruptions.
- Underground reservoir inflation rates more than doubled between 2019 and 2023, preceding the fountaining activity.
Source: arstechnica.com, 2026-10-09
Published there as: “What's been driving Hawaii's lava fountains?”
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