Using SO2 camera imagery and seismicity to examine degassing and gas accumulation at KÄ«lauea Volcano, May 2010

SO2 camera measurements at KÄ«lauea Volcano, Hawaii, in May of 2010 captured two occurrences of lava lake rise and fall within the Halema'um'au Crater summit vent. During high lava stands we observed diminished SO2 emission rates and decreased seismic tremor. Similar events at KÄ«lauea have been described as the result of sporadic degassing following gas accumulation beneath a mostly impermeable lava lake surface. Incorporation of SO2 camera data into a multi-parameter dataset gives credence to the likelihood of shallow gas accumulation as the cause of these high stand events, with accumulated gas release upon lake-level drop compensating for the gas deficit reached during accumulation.