Updated at 11:05 a.m., Monday, June 18, 2007
Kilauea calming; national park's summit areas reopen
Advertiser Staff
The National Park Service is reopening portions of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park near the summit of Kilauea after the pace of earthquakes under the volcano's Upper East Rift zone slowed overnight.Scientists recorded about 10 small earthquakes per hour this morning, far fewer than yesterday's pace of an earthquake every minute or so at several points during the day.
Experts believe the large number of small earthquakes indicate the movement of magma underground into new areas of the rift zone, and are monitoring the temblors closely because they could signal a shift in the eruption to a new area.
If lava begins to erupt from a new spot on Kilauea, that would release poisonous fumes and could cut roads and trails, or trigger brushfires.
To guard against those possibilities, the National Park Service yesterday closed the 18-mile Chain of Craters Road visitors use to reach the lowlands where lava flows into the sea. Parks officials also closed Hilina Pali Road and closed much of Crater Rim Drive around the Kilauea caldera and summit area.
Park Ranger Mardie Lane said park officials met this morning to review the situation, and decided to reopen Crater Rim Drive, but the other two major roads will remain closed.
"The geologists have informed us that the volcano seems to quieting, calming, settling somewhat," Lane said.
Parks officials will meet again later today to further assess the matter, she said.
