Shallow magma accumulation at Kīlauea Volcano, Hawai‘i, revealed by microgravity surveys

A study using microgravity surveys at Kīlauea Volcano, Hawai‘i, revealed significant shallow magma accumulation beneath the east margin of Halemaʻumaʻu Crater between 1975 and 2008. Surprisingly, this mass increase was not accompanied by sustained uplift, suggesting magma filled void spaces—likely a network of interconnected cracks formed during the 1975 M = 7.2 south flank earthquake. The research indicates that gravity data can track magma accumulation even without surface deformation, providing insights into volcanic recovery processes. A new eruptive vent in 2008 near the gravity residual maximum likely tapped this accumulated magma reservoir.

Johnson, D. J., Eggers, A. A., Bagnardi, M., Battaglia, M., Poland, M. P., & Miklius, A. (2010). Shallow magma accumulation at Kīlauea Volcano, Hawai‘i, revealed by microgravity surveys. Geology, 38(12), 1139–1142. https://doi.org/10.1130/g31323.1