Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Transient deformation following the 30 January 1997 dike intrusion at Kīlauea volcano, Hawai’i

  • Research Article
  • Published:
Bulletin of Volcanology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

On 30 January 1997 an intrusion on Kīlauea volcano opened a new fissure within the East Rift Zone (ERZ) at Nāpau Crater, 3 km uprift from the ongoing eruptions at Pu’u ’Ō’ō. The fissure eruption lasted 22 h and opened a 5.1 km long, nearly vertical dike 1.9 m, extending from the surface to a depth of 2.4 km (Owen et al. 2000b). During the eruption, the lava pond at Pu’u ’Ō’ō drained, and eruptions ceased there. Pu’u ’Ō’ō eventually refilled in late February and eruptions resumed there on 28 March 1997. Continuous GPS data show a large transient following the 30 January 1997 dike intrusion. After lengthening 40 cm during the initial eruption, the baseline between two stations spanning the ERZ lengthened an additional 10 cm over the following 6 months. A coastal station KAEP also exhibited transient deformation, as it continued to move southward (5 cm) over the same 6-month period. The baseline between two stations spanning Kīlauea’s summit caldera contracted sharply during the eruption, but gradually recovered to slightly longer than its previous length 2 months after the intrusion. We use the extended network inversion filter (McGuire and Segall 2003) to invert continuous GPS data for volume change of a spherical pressure source under Kīlauea’s summit, opening distribution on a nearly vertical dike in the ERZ and potential slip on a decollement 9 km beneath the south flank. Following the 30 January intrusion, rift extension continued below the initial dike intrusion for the duration of the transient. Decollement slip, regardless of its assumed depth, is not required to fit the data. The modeled transient summit reinflation and rift opening patterns under Nāpau crater coincide with changes in observed behavior of Pu’u ’Ō’ō’s lava pond. Rift opening accelerated while Pu’u ’Ō’ō eruptions paused and began to decelerate after the lava pond reappeared nearly a month after the Nāpau eruption. The transient deformation is interpreted as resulting from shallow accommodation of the new dike volume.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Amelung F, Jónsson S, Zebker H, Segall P (2000) Widespread uplift and ‘trapdoor’ faulting on Galapagos volcanoes observed with radar interferometry. Nature 407(6807):993–996

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ando M (1979) The Hawaii earthquake of November 1979: low dip angle faulting due to forceful injectino of magma. J Geophys Res 84:7616–7626

    Google Scholar 

  • Árnadóttir T, Segall P, Matthews M (1991) A fault model for the 1989 Kilauea south flank earthquake from level and seismic data. Geophys Res Lett 18(12):2217–2220

    Google Scholar 

  • Bjórnsson A, Sæmundsson K, Einarsson P, Tryggvason E, Gronvold K (1977) Current rifting episode in north Iceland. Nature 266(5600):318–323

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bjórnsson A, Johnsen G, Sigurdsson S, Thorbergsson G, Tryggvason E (1979) Rifting of the plate boundary in north Iceland 1975–1978. J Geophys Res 84(NB6):3029–3038

    Google Scholar 

  • Bonaccorso A, Davis P (1993) Dislocation modelling of the 1989 dike intrusion into the flank of Mount Etna, Sicily. J Geophys Res 98(B3):4261–4268

    Google Scholar 

  • Bonaccorso A, Aloisi M, Mattia M (2002) Dike emplacement forerunning the Etna July 2001 eruption modeled through continuous tilt and GPS data. Geophys Res Lett 29(13):1–2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cervelli P, Segall P, Amelung F, Garbeil H, Meertens C, Owen S, Miklius A, Lisowski M (2002a) The 12 September 1999 Upper East Rift Zone dike intrusion at Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii: art. no. 2150. J Geophys Res 107(B7):2150

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cervelli P, Segall P, Johnson K, Lisowski M, Miklius A (2002b) Sudden aseismic fault slip on the south flank of Kilauea volcano. Nature 415(6875):1014–1018

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Creutz M (1984) Monte-carlo study of quantized su(2) gauge theory. Phys Rev D 21:2308–2315

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Delaney P, Denlinger R, Lisowski M, Miklius A, Okubo P, Okamura A, Sako M (1998) Volcanic spreading at Kilauea, 1976–1996. J Geophys Res 103(B8):18003–18023

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Desmarais E, Segall P, M A (2005) A series of transient slip events on Kilauea volcano, Hawaii. EOS Trans AGU Fall Meet Suppl 85(47) G533B–G878B, Abstract

    Google Scholar 

  • Dieterich J (1988) Growth and persistence of Hawaiian volcanic rift zones. J Geophys Res 93(B5):4258–4270

    Google Scholar 

  • Du Y, Aydin A (1992) 3-Dimensional characteristics of dike intrusion along the northern Iceland rift from inversion of geodetic data. Tectonophysics 204(1–2):111–121

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dvorak JJ, Dzurisin D (1997) Volcano geodesy: the search for magma reservoirs and the formation of eruptive vents. Rev Geophys 35(3):343–384

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Foulger G, Jahn C, Seeber G, Einarsson P, Julian B, Heki K (1992) Post-rifting stress relaxation at the divergent plate boundary in northeast Iceland. Nature 358(6386):488–490

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Got J, Frechet J, Klein F (1994) Deep fault plane geometry inferred from multiplet relative relocation beneath the south flank of Kilauea. J Geophys Res 99(B8):15375–15386

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Got J-L, Okubo P (2003) New insights into Kilauea’s volcano dynamics brought by large scale relative relocation of microearthquakes. J Geophys Res 108(B7):2337–2350

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gregorius T (1996) GIPSY-OASIS II: how it works. Univ. of Newcastle upon Tyne, New Castle, England, UK, (self-published)

  • Heliker C, Sherrod D, Thornber C, Kauahikaua J (1997) Kilauea Volcano East Rift Zone eruptions update: 1997 brings era of instability. EOS Trans AGU Fall Meet Suppl 78:T21A–T28A

    Google Scholar 

  • Hooper A, Segall P, Johnson K, Rubinstein J (2002) Reconciling seismic and geodetic models of the 1989 Kilauea south flank earthquake. Geophys Res Lett 29(22):2062–2066

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jónsson S, Zebker K, Cervelli P, Segall P, Garbeil H, Mouginis-Mark P, Rowland S (1999) A shallow-dipping dike fed the 1995 flank eruption at Fernandina volcano, Galapagos, observed by satellite radar interferometry. Geophys Res Lett 26(8):1077–1080

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • King G, Stein R, Lin J (1994) Static stress changes and the triggering of earthquakes. Bull Seismol Soc Am 84:935–953

    Google Scholar 

  • Klein F (1981) A linear gradient crustal model for south Hawaii. Bull Seismol Soc Am 71(5):1503–1510

    Google Scholar 

  • Klein F, Koyanagi Y, Nakata J, Tanigawa W (1987) The seismicity of Kilauea’s magma system. US Geol Surv Prof Pap 1350:55–84

    Google Scholar 

  • Lai W, Rubin D, Krempl E (1993) Introduction to continuum mechanics. Elsevier, Amsterdam

  • Larson KM, Cervelli P, Lisowski M, Miklius A, Segall P, Owen S (2001) Volcano monitoring using the Global Positioning System: filtering strategies. J Geophys Res 106(B9):19453–19464

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McGuire JJ, Segall P (2003) Imaging of aseismic fault slip transients recorded by dense geodetic networks. Geophys J Int 155(3):778–788

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Metropolis N, Rosenbluth A, Rosenbluth M, Teller A, Teller E (1953) Equation of state calculations by fast computing machines. J Chem Phys 21:1087–1092

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Miyazaki S, McGuire J, Segall P (2003) A transient subduction zone slip episode in southwest Japan observed by the nationwide GPS array. J Geophys Res 108(B2):2087

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mogi K (1958) Relations between the eruptions of various volcanoes and the deformations of the ground surfaces around them. Bull Earthq Res Inst Univ Tokyo 36:111–123

    Google Scholar 

  • Nakamura K (1980) Why do long rift zones develop in Hawaiian volcanoes: a possible role of thick oceanic sediments (in Japanese). Bull Volcanol Soc Japan 25:255–267

    Google Scholar 

  • Okada Y (1985) Surface deformation due to shear and tensile faults in a half-space. Bull Seismol Soc Am 75:1135–1154

    Google Scholar 

  • Okada Y, Yamamoto E (1991) Dyke intrusion model for the 1989 seismovolcanic activity off Ito, central Japan. J Geophys Res 96(B6):10361–10376

    Google Scholar 

  • Owen S, Miklius A, Segall P, Lisowski M, Sako M (1997) Displacements from the June 30, 1997 M5.5 Kilauea south flank earthquake and preceding decrease in slip rate. EOS Trans AGU Suppl 84(46):V51E–0323

    Google Scholar 

  • Owen S, Segall P, Lisowski M, Miklius A, Denlinger R, Sako M (2000a) Rapid deformation of Kilauea Volcano: global positioning system measurements between 1990 and 1996. J Geophys Res 105(B8):18983–18998

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Owen S, Segall P, Lisowski M, Miklius A, Murray M, Bevis M, Foster J (2000b) January 30, 1997 eruptive event on Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii, as monitored by continuous GPS. Geophys Res Lett 27(17):2757–2760

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rubin AM, Gillard D, Got JL (1998) A reinterpretation of seismicity associated with the January 1983 dike intrusion at Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii. J Geophys Res 103(B5):10003–10015

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Segall P, Harris R (1986) Slip deficit on the San Andreas Fault at Parkfield, California, as revealed by inversion of geodetic data. Science 233(4771):1409–1413

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Segall P, Matthews M (1997) Time dependent inversion of geodetic data. J Geophys Res 102(B10):22391–22409

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Segall P, Cervelli P, Owen S, Lisowski M, Miklius A (2001) Constraints on dike propagation from continuous GPS measurements. J Geophys Res 106(B9):19301–19317

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sigurdsson O (1980) Surface deformation of the Krafla fissure swarm in two rifting events. J Geophys 47(1/3):154–159

    Google Scholar 

  • Thatcher W (1992) Does the mid-crust flow? Nature 358(6386):454–455

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thornber C, Sherrod D, Heliker C, Kauahikaua J, Trusdell F, Lisowski M, Okubo P (1997) Kilauea’s ongoing eruption: Napau crater revisited after 14 years. EOS Trans AGU Spring Meet Suppl 78:V22A–03

    Google Scholar 

  • Thornber CR, Heliker C, Sherrod DR, Kauahikaua JP, Miklius A, Okubo PG, Trusdell FA, Budahn JR, Ridley WI, Meeker GP (2003) Kilauea east rift zone magmatism: an Episode 54 perspective. J Petrol 44(9):1525–1559

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thurber C, Gripp A (1988) Flexure and seismicity beneath the south flank of Kilauea Volcano and tectonic implications. J Geophys Res 93(B5):4271–4278

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Walker G (1987) The dike complex of Koolau Volcano, Oahu: internal structure of a Hawaiian rift zone. US Geol Surv Prof Pap 1350:933–961

    Google Scholar 

  • Walpersdorf A, Vigny C, Ruegg JC, Huchon P, Asfaw LM, Kirbash SA (1999) 5 years of GPS observations of the Afar triple junction area. J Geodyn 28(2–3):225–236

    Google Scholar 

  • Wyss M (1988) A proposed source model for the great Kau, Hawaii, earthquake of 1868. Bull Seismol Soc Am 78:1450–1462

    Google Scholar 

  • Zumberge JF, Heflin MB, Jefferson DC, Watkins MM, Webb FH (1997) Precise point positioning for the efficient and robust analysis of GPS data from large networks. J Geophys Res 102(B3):5005–5017

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Robert and Marvel Kirby Stanford Graduate Fellowship, The Evolving Earth Foundation, and NSF Grant EAR-9902875. We would also like to thank P. Cervelli and A. Miklius for processing the GPS data, J. Murray for her help with filtering, O. Lengline for the seismic data, and S. Owen and the HVO staff for enlightening discussions.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geophysics, 397 Panama Mall, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA

    Emily K. Desmarais & Paul Segall

Authors
  1. Emily K. Desmarais
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Paul Segall
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Emily K. Desmarais.

Additional information

Editorial responsibility: M. Ripepe

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Desmarais, E.K., Segall, P. Transient deformation following the 30 January 1997 dike intrusion at Kīlauea volcano, Hawai’i. Bull Volcanol 69, 353–363 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00445-006-0080-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00445-006-0080-7

Keywords

Search

Navigation