High magma storage rates before the 1983 eruption of Kilauea, Hawaii

After a magnitude 7.2 earthquake in 1975 and before the start of the ongoin g eruption in 1983, deformation of Kilauea volcano was the most rapid ever recorded. Three-dimensional numerical modeling shows that this deformation is consistent with the dilation of a dike within Kilauea's rift zones coupl ed with creep over a narrow area of a Low-angle fault beneath the south fla nk. Magma supply is estimated to be 0.18 cubic kilometers per year, twice t hat of previous estimates. The 1983 eruption may be a direct consequence of the high rates of magma storage within the rift zone that followed the 197 5 earthquake.