Kīlauea Eruption Update: Pond Arches & Connections, March 17, 2022

Lava viewing at Kīlauea was steady this past week, as its summit lava lake only paused briefly, still in line with the general pattern of the past few months. The divided lava ponds develop temporary archways, while the West Vent spatter cones continue their low-level eruptive activity. Cracks are still evolving on the crater floor, as its more buoyant center uplifts faster than its outer edges in response to the liquid lava emplaced below. Lava output and gas emissions continue to reflect minor changes in ground tilt, and vog remains the most significant impact to island people, with otherwise no change in current volcanic threat. We review monitoring signals and reports courtesy of the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, building time-lapses from web-cam captures and discussing live viewer questions as usual. This program is brought to you in part by a grant from the Hawaiʻi Island Strong Fund of the Hawaiʻi Community Foundation in partnership with the County of Hawaiʻi, and from donations from viewers like you. https://youtu.be/fxbOpOf6lrA