This is not an official notice of a ‘Volcano Watch’. Well, actually, there is an official Volcano Alert Level: WATCH posted on the USGS website. But they’ve been saying that for months. This is a “really… keep your eye on the volcano, because bigger things are starting to happen” sort of watch suggestion… thing.

Anyway, take a look at the pics, and draw your own conclusions.

Wednesday night the vent at Halema’uma’u pulsed with the same timing as the seismic tremors that started about noon Wednesday. These episodes of continuous ground vibrations have been going on and off for days. The plume incandescence was described as ‘very bright’. This morning, the brave USGS ash collection team actually had ash falling on them as they collected lots of rock dust and some small pieces of volcanic glass. And for the first time, a new ’squeaking or high-pitched scraping noise’ was heard in addition to the vent roar, which was at a relatively low level. That scraping noise was said to sound like rocks grinding together, perhaps as they tried to slip past each other.

But that was then, and this is now, Thursday night about 10PM. I looked at the webcam just a few moments ago, and caught the sight of incandescence from the vent flaring over the rim of the caldera, over 250 feet high! It was HUGE! And if last night was bright, this was positively fiery! And it is continuing as I write this.

See for yourself in four views from the USGS webcam which I enhanced (all rights retained by USGS, of course). The first is a day view from January. The second is the same day view, with a night view from April sandwiched on top of it so you can see the scale of the plume at night.

 

The third is a day view I caught yesterday, Wednesday, during an ash episode that was turning the plume reddish brown. Notice how much bigger the vent is.

Now take a look at the fourth view, with tonight’s incandescent flare sandwiched on top of it.

A picture is worth a thousand words, so I’ll just let the picture say it all.

Emissions were up again Wednesday, and I’m guessing that Thursday they went up further. Vog was very heavy before and after the rain this evening. From all the sneezing and coughing I’m hearing when I go into town, the components of the ash, and whatever else is coming out now is significantly impacting people. The waiting room at Kaiser is constantly filled, with many or most of the people apparently suffering respiratory problems, from the sound of them.

But the show at Halema’uma’u continues to get more and more amazing, and we are all looking forward to the next change, whatever it will be.