Kīlauea Eruption Video Update Day 3, December 23, 2020

As the 2020 Kīlauea summit eruption enters its fourth day, the lava lake continues to deepen and widen and has now reached the elevation of the dominant northern vent. As of this afternoon, the crater has been filled 521 feet deep (156 m), and we address the question of what may happen when the lava level overtops the main vent. We address the eruption rate with calculations based on USGS data, and answer how long it would take for the inner crater to completely fill and spill over at the current pace of filling, and when the lake would become visible from public overlooks. As usual, we also review volcanic monitoring signals for changes. https://youtu.be/dTKEIwSs0DQ