Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

The USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory is hosting a community meeting at the Pahoa Community Center on July 7 from 6-7:30 PM about an upcoming helicopter survey over unpopulated part of Kīlauea volcano. During the meeting, which is free and open to the public, USGS scientists will describe the survey and geophysical techniques being used, as well as the data being collected.

The airborne electromagnetic survey will take place from July 5-25, 2022, and the data collected will be used to image shallow (upper 2,000 ft) magmatic structure, fault systems, and groundwater pathways over Kīlauea volcano. This project is funded by the Additional Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Relief Act of 2019 (H.R. 2157), which supports investigations into the current state of Kīlauea volcano following the 2018 lower East Rift Zone eruption and summit collapse.

The meeting flier is available here

Photo of helicopter with large loop deployed below it via slingload
Photo of helicopter with geophysical equipment loop deployed below it via slingload. In January 2021 a helicopter carried an airborne electromagnetic induction sensor over parts of northeastern Wisconsin as part of a USGS study to map the aquifers in the region. The data will be used to inform models of water availability and quality in the region that can be used by resource managers and policy makers. This photo shows the equipment being deployed from a low-flying helicopter operated by specially trained pilots. 

USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory Public Meeting: Thursday, July 7 at the Pahoa Community Center (15-3022 Kauhale St. Pahoa, HI 96778)

This event is FREE and OPEN to the public.  

Presentation and Q/A: 6–6:30 p.m, with talk story to follow until 7:30 p.m. 

The U.S. Geological Survey is conducting a helicopter geophysical survey over unpopulated parts of Kīlauea volcano on the Island of Hawaiʻi from July 5–25, 2022. The data will be collected with a 50 by 80-ft-oval-shaped, horizontal loop suspended 100 ft below a helicopter flying about 115-165 ft above the ground or treetops. The data will be used to image shallow (upper 2,000 ft) magmatic structure, fault systems, and groundwater pathways over Kīlauea.



The survey aircraft will not fly over or collect any data from residential areas or other regions excluded by Federal Aviation Administration regulations or Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park policies. We understand that helicopter noise can be disruptive, so we will greatly appreciate affected residents' patience and understanding as we collect this extremely important data to help mitigate future eruption hazards. Please see this website for more information: https://www.usgs.gov/supplemental-appropriations-for-disaster-recovery-activities/science/2019-kilauea-disaster   

 

For more information, email askHVO@usgs.gov

Tentative Survey Schedule

This schedule is very tentative and based on ideal flying conditions every day with no delays. Please see the map of flight line block boundaries that show the proposed survey areas and flight-lines for each day. 

July 6, 2022: tentative survey start, FLT 1 and 2

July 7: FLT 3 and 4, Public meeting at Pahoa Community Center: Meeting flier

July 8: FLT 5 and 6

July 9: FLT 7 and 8 

July 10: No flights

July 11: FLT 9 – including Kaluapele (Kīlauea caldera). USGS scientists will be stationed on the rim of the caldera at Uēkahuna overlook, Wahinekapu (Steaming Bluff), and the overlook near Keanakāko‘i Crater to answer questions. FLT 10.

July 12: FLT 11 and 12

July 13: FLT 13 and 14

July 14: FLT 15 and 16

July 15: FLT 17 and 18

After July 15, 6-7 survey flights will continue in lower Puna. These flights will be 2-3 hours in duration, with two flights likely occurring per day weather permitting.

Color map of aerial survey
Map of Kīlauea volcano showing the helicopter flight-line (green) block boundaries (red) for the geophysical survey that will be conducted from approximately July 5-25, 2022. Please see the schedule on the project webpage for the survey dates of each block. The survey will be conducted from air space over Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park (boundary in white on the map), Hawaii State lands, and Kamehameha Schools/Bishop Estate lands. The survey aircraft will not fly over or collect any data from residential areas or other regions excluded by Federal Aviation Administration regulations or Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park policies.  All flights will occur during daylight hours and are coordinated with the Federal Aviation Administration to ensure accordance with U.S. law. USGS map. 

Get Our News

These items are in the RSS feed format (Really Simple Syndication) based on categories such as topics, locations, and more. You can install and RSS reader browser extension, software, or use a third-party service to receive immediate news updates depending on the feed that you have added. If you click the feed links below, they may look strange because they are simply XML code. An RSS reader can easily read this code and push out a notification to you when something new is posted to our site.