Shallow Ground Water Mapping in the Lower East Rift Zone Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii

Abstract

Three types of shallow groundwater's have been identified in the lower East Rift of Kilauea Volcano; fresh, geothermal and mixed. Geothermal waters occur proximal to a major structural intersection of the east northeast trending lower East Rift Zone with a north northwest trending transverse fault, and in the region south of this structure where a geothermal plume discharges along the coast as a series of hot springs and seeps. This structural intersection is interpreted as a principal conduit for the upward migration of geothermal fluids from a deep geothermal reservoir into the overlying shallow and intermediate depth groundwater system. Fresh groundwater exists north of the lower East Rift Zone and south of the rift in the region southwest of this transverse fault. Mixed groundwater is located down gradient of the region of upwelling geothermal fluids.