Current Kilauea Volcano Eruption Update
Current Eruption Status,
Information, and
Photos of
Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii
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updates. The friendly rangers will gladly tell you where to go and how to
view lava safely.
Left. The ocean entry that
started on April 29 continues,
and has expanded in width.
Right. One of several lava
streams on the shore.
29 April 2010
Image showing first
finger of lava approaching the
ocean
Lava first touched the water at
12:15pm, and this photo shows
the first finger of lava
approaching the ocean.
28 April 2010
County viewing area
composite and views of the
active flow field
This composite image of the
County viewing area in Kalapana
combines a thermal image,
showing the active flow lobe in
red and yellow, with a normal
photograph. The lighter yellow
areas are locations of active
breakouts at the flow margin,
and smoke can be seen
originating from the flow front
where breakouts are burning
vegetation.
Left. View looking south at the
currently active flow crossing the
coastal plain west of Kalapana. The
new flow is the silvery lava
crossing the photo from lower right
to top center where the flow front
is burning vegetation. The end of
Hwy 130 is visible at upper left.Right.
Zoomed-in view of the current
visitor viewing area at the end of
Hwy 130.
Left. View looking back to the
north at the terminus of the active
flow as it approaches the forested
kipuka at the center of the photo.
Hwy 130 is at upper right. The old
ocean entry viewing area, open from
2008 to early 2010, is visible near
the bottom of the photo just to the
right of center. The flows area
expected to burn through the kipuka
and reach the ocean very close to
that old viewing area sometime over
the next several days.Right.
More distant view looking north at
the active flow as it crossing the
coastal plain and approaches the
ocean. Houses in the Kalapana
Gardens subdivision are visible to
the right. The lava tube feeding
lava to the flow front is delineated
by the points of fume at upper left.
27 April 2010
Lava crossed and buried the County
lava viewing trail
Left. Lava, on its southward
journey to the ocean, crossed and
buried the County lava viewing
trail. The viewing area was
relocated a short distance back from
the flow margin. Right. A 3
meter (10 ft) high cascade feeds
lava into an old quarry at the end
of the Kalapana access road, within
view of the County viewing area.
23 April 2010
Thermal/Visible images showing
advancement of the active flows
This
comparison of thermal images over
the coastal plain shows the
advancement of the active flows over
the past week. At the top, a normal
photograph from April 15 gives
reference. The middle frame, from
April 15, shows that the flows were
approaching the bottom of the pali
last week. In the bottom frame, from
today's overflight, the thermal
image shows that the flows have
migrated southeast into a kipuka
several hundred meters (yards) north
of the County viewing area.
22 April 2010
Activity continues to burn vegetation
in the kipuka
Another
tree goes up in flames as the lava
moves further into the kipuka.
Looking closely, you can see the ash
from the tree in the smoke column.
Left. This photo shows the ropey
texture of a recently crusted
pahoehoe flow, as well as its
superior strength as a natural
insulator. The crack is still
glowing hot but the lava is no
longer moving under the crust.Right.
The activity continues to burn
vegetation in the kipuka adjacent to
the trail, causing the viewing trail
to be closed beyond the trailhead.
The new viewing area is still very
close to the active flows.
20 April 2010
Visible/thermal image showing active
flows on the pali
Left. Surface flows on the
coastal plain were active a couple
hundred meters (yards) from the
current viewing trail at the end of
Highway 130. The flows are burning
along the margin of a large kipuka
mauka of the viewing trail.
Right. While much of the flow
stayed along the margin of the
kipuka, a few lobes ventured into
the vegetation.
15 April 2010
Visible/thermal image showing active
flows on the pali
Flows
continue to be active on the pali
and are advancing southward. The
flow front this morning was
approximately 1.4 km (0.9 miles)
north of the County viewing area.
Letters A and B denote corresponding
points in the photograph (top) and
thermal image (bottom). The active
flows show up clearly in the thermal
image.
HVO geologist takes an active lava
sample from within a lava tube
An HVO
geologist takes a sample of active
lava within a lava tube. The fluid
lava sticks to the heavy hammer head
at the end of the cable when it is
lowered into the swiftly moving lava
stream. These samples are analyzed
routinely to track changes in lava
chemistry.
8 April 2010
Quicktime movie of lava surface deep
within Halema`uma`u
This
Quicktime movie shows the lava
surface deep within the Halema`uma`u
vent cavity, captured with a thermal
camera that can see through the
thick fume. The lava surface is
about 70 meters (230 ft) wide, and
remains about 200 meters (660 ft)
below the cavity rim. The surface is
mostly crusted, with a slow
migration from north to south. Small
spattering sources occasionally
break through the thin crust. Just a
few minutes after this video was
taken, violent degassing and
spattering ensued, disrupting the
entire lava surface, and the lava
level dropped about 20 meters (66
ft).
Active flows on the pali, east of
Royal Gardens subdivision
View of
the currently active flows on the
pali, east of Royal Gardens
subdivision. The corresponding
thermal image highlights the active
flow area clearly. The active flows
are traveling down the east margin
of the Thanksgiving Eve Breakout (TEB)
flow field. The flows are being fed
by a lengthening lava tube, which is
marked by a line of fume. In the
distance are the vent (D-vent, at
the TEB shield) and Pu`u `Ō `ō.
One
small breakout among many on the
currently active flow field.
2 April 2010
View of the active vent in
Halema`uma`u Crater
View of
the active vent in Halema`uma`u
Crater. The remains of the visitor
overlook fence are on the crater rim
just below the vent. The Hawaiian
Volcano Observatory and Jaggar
Museum on visible on Uwekahuna Bluff
in the background. The broad slope
of Mauna Loa's east flank forms the
skyline.
Active flows from Kilauea's east rift
zone
The
terminus of the active flows from
Kilauea's east rift zone, the
lighter color lava seen here, have
reached down to about the 1100-ft
elevation just east of the older TEB
flow field. If these flows continue
to push forward, they will likely
end up back on top of the older TEB
flow field at the base of Pulama
pali close to the end of the
Kalapana access road.
19 March 2010
Two-year Anniversary of the
Halema`uma`u vent explosion
The
ongoing summit eruption at Kīlauea
began on this day two years ago.
This thermal image (white is hot,
dark blue is cold), taken during
today's helicopter overflight, shows
the current vent configuration at
Halema`uma`u crater. The vent cavity
is about 130 meters (430 ft) wide,
and has consumed portions of the
wall and floor of Halema`uma`u
crater. The vent cavity resides
directly below the former
Halema`uma`u Overlook, which was
badly damaged in the March 19, 2008,
vent opening explosion. The active
lava surface (about 70 meters, or
230 ft, wide) is situated at a depth
of about 200 meters (660 ft) below
the rim of the vent cavity. The lava
surface consists of large crustal
plates—clearly discernable in this
image—which slowly migrate from
north to south, reflecting
circulation in the lava column. A
small degassing hole resides on the
floor of the vent cavity as well,
just south of the lava surface.
16 March 2010
Breakouts resume and continue through
the week
After a
short pause in surface activity late
last week, breakouts resumed over
the weekend and continued through
this week. Scattered pahoehoe flows
were located above the pali, about
1.6 km (1 mile) north of Royal
Gardens subdivision.
12 March 2010
No surface flows on the flow field
No
surface flows were active anywhere
on the flow field today, due to
summit deflation and a reduction in
lava supply over the past few days.
Summit inflation resumed yesterday,
and an increase in lava supply
should lead to resumed breakouts
over the next several days. This
photo shows the area of flows that
were active over the past week—they
can be identified as the lighter
colored lobe in the center of the
photograph that has cut through the
middle of the forested area (the
remains of Royal Gardens
subdivision). These flows were
advancing across the coastal plain
earlier in the week. Pu`u `Ō `ō, and
its persistent degassing plume, can
be seen in the upper left corner of
the photograph.
11 March 2010
Quicktime movie showing the active
lava pond deep with the Halema`uma`u vent
cavity
This
Quicktime movie shows the active
lava pond deep within the
Halema`uma`u vent cavity. The lava
is upwelling at the northern margin
of the pond (the upper margin in
this view), and slowly migrating
south towards the bottom of the
image, where it sinks out of view.
The pond is about 50 m wide. Small
spattering sources appear and
disappear occasionally. This video
was taken with a thermal camera
(white is hot, dark blue is cold),
which is able to see through the
thick fume. No views were possible
with the naked eye today due to the
fume, and only loud gas roaring
sounds could be heard.
10 March 2010
Thermal image at Halema`uma`u shows
the current activity
This
image was collected from a thermal
camera at the Halema`uma`u Overlook,
and shows the current activity at
the summit. The active lava pond,
about 40 m across, is situated deep
within the vent cavity, at a depth
of about 200 m. The lava surface
consists of slowly migrating crustal
plates, with a spattering source on
the east margin of the pond. The
lava surface is slightly deeper than
its usual level, owing to deflation
during the current
deflation-inflation (DI) cycle.
5 March 2010
Lava flow burns vegetation in small
kipuka
A lava
flow burns what little vegetation is
left in this small kipuka at the top
of the pali.
Visible/Infrared image of the current
flow field
The
FLIR image on the right is a
close-up infrared image of the
current flow field, shown on the
left.
25 February 2010
Fume sources on the TEB flow field and
an overplating pāhoehoe flow
Left. The upper TEB flow field,
looking south. The fuming hole in
the foreground is the TEB vent. The
other fume sources, which help
delineate the lava tube, are coming
from collapsed areas down the tube
system.Right. A small active
pāhoehoe flow overplating an older 'a'ā
flow on the upper TEB flow field.
There were a few small scattered
breakouts above the pali, but the
majority of the surface activity was
flowing through Royal Gardens and
onto the coastal plain.
19 February 2010
Active lava flow continue to creep
across the coastal plain
Left. Lava, showing up here as
the light colored area, continues to
creep across the coastal plain
toward the national park, having now
reached about 1.3 km (0.8 miles) out
from the base of the pali.Right.
The lava flows on the coastal
plain, which show up as the light
colored flows in the foreground, are
erupted into the TEB tube system
from the D fissure which first
opened up in July 2007. This vent is
faintly visible as a fuming source
in the background near the upper
left corner of the photo. Smaller
fuming sources between vent and
coastal plain mark the trace of the
TEB tube.
12 February 2010
Active lava flows within Royal Gardens
subdivision and onto the coastal plain
Left. Lava flows remain active
within the Royal Gardens subdivision
and onto the coastal plain below.
The number of surface flows has
decreased however, due in part to a
probable decrease in activity
related to the ongoing deflation of
Pu`u `Ō `ō, and because the new lava
tube branch feeding the flows is
becoming better developed.Right.
As the lava tube becomes better
established, the surface flows on
the pali will probably die out while
the flows on the coastal plain
continue to move toward the ocean.
The
currently active flows on the pali
continue to chip away at the few
remaining streets in the beleaguered
Royal Gardens subdivision. Those
visible here are pretty much all
that's left, with the exception of
one small kipuka out of sight to the
right.
3 February 2010
Six channelized flows meander down the
pali to the Royal Gardens subdivision
Six
channelized flows meander down a
steep portion of the pali, burning
vegetation in the remaining portion
of Royal Gardens subdivision.
Areas
of the forest go up in flames as the
'a'ā flow pushes its way through the
vegetation at the base of the pali,
and flows onto the coastal plain.
Left. The largest and
eastern-most active channel spreads
out near the base of the pali.
Right. As the slope decreases,
the 'a'ā flows fan out onto the
coastal plain.
29 January 2010
Active pāhoehoe flow in the Royal
Gardens subdivision and clear view in Pu`u
`Ō `ō crater
Left. The active front of a
pāhoehoe flow near the intersection
of Pikake and Warrior Street, in the
Royal Gardens subdivision. The road
in the lower portion of the photo is
the last remaining piece of Pikake
Street. Right.A relatively
clear view into Pu`u `Ō `ō crater,
looking NNE. Several persistent
fuming sources are visible in the
crater, including the source of a
small lava flow near the crater's
center. The dark area trending
east-west at the bottom of the
crater is a small lava flow that
erupted between January 13 and
January 19.
22 January 2010
'A'ā flow stalled in Royal Gardens
subdivision
The 'a'ā
flow that was active in the upper
reaches of Royal Gardens subdivision
on January 19 had stalled by today.
The flow can be identified as the
dark flow terminating near the
center of the photograph. The flow
front had extended well into the
subdivision, almost reaching the
level of Plumeria Street. About 400
m to the west of this flow, at the
west end of Plumeria, is the last
occupied structure in Royal Gardens,
visible by the red roof. Pu`u `Ō `ō
can be seen in the upper right of
the photograph.
19 January 2010
Thick vog blankets Halema`um`ua vent
Fume
from the erupting vent in
Halema`uma`u blankets the summit of
Kīlauea in thick vog.
Active terminus on the western side of
TEB in Royal Gardens Subdivision
Left. Kīlauea's east rift zone
eruption site. Pu`u `Ō `ō is to the
right, and the TEB vent and upper
tube system is to the left and
behind Pu`u `Ō `ō. Right.The
terminus of the eastern branch of
the one active flow above the pali.
Pu`u `Ō `ō is at the top in the
center with the TEB vent to the
right.
Left. The terminus of the more
vigorous western branch of the
active flow on the western side of
the TEB flow field near the top of
the Royal Gardens subdivision.
Right.Close-up of the front of
the channelized 'a'ā flow on the
western side of the TEB flow.
14 January 2010
Views into Halema`um`ua vent showing
the ponded surface and vigorous spattering
Left. The lava surface rose to
its highest level in at least a
year. The ponded surface covered
most of the bottom the collapse pit
in the floor of Halema`uma`u, and
was probably more than 100 m across.
Right.Much of the time,
however, the lava level was much
lower, forming rapidly moving river
of lava that cascaded into a deeper
hole on the north side of the pit
floor.
The
lava surface was typically topped by
vigorous spattering.
Left. The lava surface was
typically topped by vigorous
spattering.Right.Occasionally,
a small dome fountain briefly formed
on the lava surface.
Left. At lower lava levels,
large lava falls formed where lava
cascaded down into a deeper opening.
Right.At one point, as the
ponded lava began to drain away, a
vortex formed on the lava surface.
The curved streaks around the
spattering point at the bottom of
the image show where lava is
beginning to move in a clockwise
direction.
Left. The lava whirlpool is even
better developed here and has
migrated toward the north.Right.With
further draining, deep opening are
exposed on the eastern side of the
pit floor and the lava river pouring
off into a deep hole on the north
side of the pit.
13 January 2010
Quicktime thermal movie showing the
entire floor of the Halema`uma`u vent
This
Quicktime movie shows video
collected with a thermal camera
during two helicopter overflights of
the Halema`uma`u vent. The high
vantage point allowed a view of the
entire floor of the vent cavity,
which is not possible from the
ground. Also, the thermal camera can
"see" through the thick fume that
normally obscures the vent to the
naked eye. The first half of the
video shows observations on January
7, when a dome fountain on the floor
of the vent cavity was feeding a
wide, vigorously flowing lava stream
towards the north. The second half
of the video shows observations on
January 13, at which point the lava
stream had disappeared and two
degassing holes were active. The
northern hole (on the right) appears
to have lava just below the rim.
View of Pu`u `Ō `ō and the TEB vent
Left. View of Pu`u `Ō `ō and the
TEB vent looking northwest. There is
a distinctive separation between the
two plumes coming from Pu`u `Ō `ō.
The east wall vent is creating the
plume closest to the east rim, and
the larger plume is coming from a
combination of several other vents
inside the crater. The TEB vent is
putting off the wispy plume in the
foreground. Right.Two HVO
geologists are standing on the east
rim of Pu`u `Ō `ō cone,
triangulating the depth of several
degassing vents inside the crater.
An infrared camera is being used to
see the vents through the fume. The
plume in the background is coming
from the east wall vent.
7 January 2010
View of Waikupanaha lava delta
View of
the inactive Waikupanaha lava delta.
There has been no steam plume or
lava ocean entry since the first
weekend in January. The viewpoint of
this photo is similar to the Dec 17
and Dec 29 photos on the website
(when the entry was active).
7 January 2010
Spectacular eruptive activity deep
within Halema`uma`u Crater
Spectacular eruptive activity has
been occurring deep within the
collapse pit in Halema`uma`u Crater
at Kīlauea's summit. At times, a
river of lava poured into a deeper
plunge pool of lava, which had a
dome fountain on its right-hand
side.
Left. The bottom of the collapse
pit is roughly 285 meters (935 feet)
below the rim of Halema`uma`u, from
which this photo was taken.
Right.Over the last several
days, lava has episodically risen up
to cover the bottom of the collapse
pit, as shown here.
Left. A bathtub ring of black
lava record the high-lava mark at
the bottom of the pit. Right.The
Hawaiian Volcano Observatory and
Jaggar Museum are tiny bumps at the
summit of Kīlauea Volcano in the
background of this photo.
A
particularly clear view reveals the
walls of the collapse pit above the
lava surface. The lava surface is
roughly 200 meters (656 feet) below
the floor of Halema`uma`u Crater,
which is the smooth surface in the
background.
29 December 2009
Awesome aerial view comparing Pu`u `Ō
`ō with 2007
Left. Portions of the northwest
rim of Pu`u `Ō `ō have collapsed
over the past few years, with the
most recent known collapse this past
October. Compare this photo from
2007 to the one taken today-the red
line shows where the crater rim is
now. Right.Comparison of this
photo with the previous shows how
much of the crater rim has fallen
into Pu`u `Ō `ō crater over the past
few years. The most recent collapse
in October removed the summit of the
cone, reducing the height of Pu`u `Ō
`ō by a few meters (yards).
Left. Southerly winds offered
decent views of the collapse pits on
the west flank of Pu`u `Ō `ō. The
TEB vent is the heavily fuming vent
beyond Pu`u `Ō `ō to the right, and
the active tube system extends to
the right out of the image frame.
Right.This is the upper-most of
several active breakouts from the
lava tube system that started over
this past weekend. Pu`u `Ō `ō is at
the upper right.
Left. Two other breakouts are
visible in this photo. The nearer is
the lighter colored flow at the
center of the image, and it is no
longer active. The other is at the
base of the pali just beyond and it
continues to creep slowly forward.
Right.The Waikupanaha ocean
entry remains active with its
typical white steam plume blowing
inland. The Hawaii County viewing
area is marked by the white dots
just below and left of the image
center. The viewing area trailhead
is at the white structure at the far
right.
28 December 2009
Spectacular Quicktime movie showing a
draining event in the lava pond within the
Halema`uma`u vent
This
Quicktime movie shows a draining
event in the lava pond within the
Halema`uma`u vent cavity. The lava
column exhibited cycles of filling
and draining of the vent cavity,
with each cycle lasting a few
minutes. As the pond drains, lava
cascades into a small hole on the
east side (right) of the cavity
floor. Also, lava that was covering
a large bench to the west of the
main pond drains back, with large
plates of crust sliding over the
edge.
21 December 2009
Nightshot movie showing a filling and
draining cycle event in the Halema`uma`u
vent
Lava
within the vent cavity in
Halema`uma`u crater continues to be
active, and occasionally displays
remarkable filling and draining
cycles. This Quicktime movie shows
the draining portion of one of these
cycles, captured in "nightshot" mode
in order to see through the thick
fume. The video begins with a wide
surface of chaotic, agitated lava,
with vigorous upwelling and
spattering. The lava surface is
about 30 m wide. Eventually, the
lava begins to drain into a hole on
the floor of the vent cavity, as
spattering continues. Each filling
and draining cycle lasted about 5
minutes.
17 December 2009
Awesome aerial view of two active
areas of Kīlauea, and Mauna Loa and Mauna
Kea
Left. An aerial view looking
north at two active areas of Kīlauea.
Pu`u `Ō `ō crater is in the
foreground, Mauna Loa (left) and
Mauna Kea (right) are in the
background. The fume source near the
base of Mauna Loa (at Kīlauea's
summit) is from the Halema`uma`u
Overlook vent. The wind is blowing
the plume trace toward the
northeast, partially obscuring the
view of Mauna Kea. Right.Although
there are no surface flows anywhere
on the flow field, lava continues to
flow through the Waikupanaha lava
tube and enter the ocean.
Left. South winds allow for a
different perspective of the
Halema`uma`u Overlook vent.
Right.A beautiful example of
sulfur crystals that have grown
around a small fumarole near the
southeast rim of Halema`uma`u
crater. The vent is about 0.3 m (1
foot) long.
2 December 2009
Cooperating winds show rare glimpse
into Pu`u `Ō `ō crater
Thanks
to cooperating winds, views into
Pu`u `Ō `ō Crater were only slightly
obscured by fume today. These photos
show a rare glimpse of the rubble
covered walls and floor of the
crater. The piece of equipment on
the rim of the crater is the Pu`u `Ō
`ō webcam, which is available to
view on the Webcams page of the HVO
website. The photo on the left was
taken looking south, the photo on
the right looking southwest.
Aerial
view of the Waikupanaha (large
plume) and West Waikupanaha ocean
entries. The West Waikupanaha entry
spans the coastline where the
numerous small, wispy plumes are
visible. The entries remain active
as lava continues to enter the ocean
through both lava tubes and surface
flows.
21 November 2009
Quicktime movie showing a small
explosive event in the Halema`uma`u vent
This
Quicktime movie (at x2 speed) shows
a small explosive event in the
Halema`uma`u vent at 9:20am. The
explosion was immediately preceded
by a portion of the vent rim
collapsing into the vent cavity. The
brown plume rises rapidly from the
vent, and in the full resolution
video large particles can be seen
ejected in front of the plume. In
the video shown here, it is possible
to see some of these particles
impact the crater wall—look for
several small white puffs to appear
on the crater wall just ahead of the
rising brown plume (about 7-9
seconds into the video clip). No
ejecta was found at the Halema`uma`u
Overlook, indicating that few, if
any particles, reached the crater
rim.
20 November 2009
Three separate steam plumes merge into
one at Waikupanaha
Left. At the Waikupanaha ocean
entry (left), three separate steam
plumes merge into one as the wind
blows the steam offshore. The west
Waikupanaha entry is spread out over
a larger area with at least 5
separate lava entry points. This
photo was taken looking southeast.
Right.Standing at the former
time lapse camera site on the rim of
Pool 1 of the perched channel,
geologists measure the depth of the
March 2009 collapse. A hammer head
was attached to a steel cable and
lowered over the edge until it hit
the floor of the collapse pit. When
the hammer hit the bottom, the cable
was marked, and the depth was
measured at 16.5 m (54 ft) deep.
19 November 2009
Quicktime movie showing lava within
the Halema`uma`u vent cavity
This
Quicktime movie shows lava within
the Halema`uma`u vent cavity, at a
depth of about 200 m below the vent
rim. The lava surface, which is
about 20 m wide, is extremely
vigorous, with constant roiling and
semi-continuous spattering. Spatter
deposited on the walls around the
lava surface creates a hot, unstable
surface, which can be seen to
disintegrate as large blocks break
off and fall into the lava.
15 November 2009
Open channel of lava and scattered
breakouts at Waikupanaha ocean entry
A small
open channel of lava was entering
the water at one of two entry points
at the west Waikupanaha entry area.
Left. This photo is looking east
towards the three ocean entry points
active today. The most distant, and
most vigorous, is the Waikupanaha
entry, which has been active since
March 2008. In the foreground are
two entry points at the west
Waikupanaha entry area, which has
been active over the past few weeks.
Right.Scattered breakouts,
like the one shown here, continue to
be active on the coastal plain and
are situated west of the main
Waikupanaha tube and just inland of
the west Waikupanaha ocean entry.
20 November 2009
Three separate steam plumes
merge into one at Waikupanaha
Left. At the Waikupanaha ocean
entry (left), three separate steam
plumes merge into one as the wind
blows the steam offshore. The west
Waikupanaha entry is spread out over
a larger area with at least 5
separate lava entry points. This
photo was taken looking southeast.
Right.Standing at the former
time lapse camera site on the rim of
Pool 1 of the perched channel,
geologists measure the depth of the
March 2009 collapse. A hammer head
was attached to a steel cable and
lowered over the edge until it hit
the floor of the collapse pit. When
the hammer hit the bottom, the cable
was marked, and the depth was
measured at 16.5 m (54 ft) deep.
19 November 2009
Quicktime movie showing
lava within the Halema`uma`u vent cavity
This
Quicktime movie shows lava within
the Halema`uma`u vent cavity, at a
depth of about 200 yards below the
vent rim. The lava surface, with is
about 20 yards wide, is extremely
vigorous, with constant roiling and
semi-continuous spattering. Spatter
deposited on the walls around the
lava surface creates a hot, unstable
surface, which can be seen to
disintegrate as large blocks break
off and fall into the lava.
15 November 2009
Open channel of lava and
scattered breakouts at Waikupanaha ocean entry
A small
open channel of lava was entering
the water at one of two entry points
at the west Waikupanaha entry area.
Left. This photo is looking east
towards the three ocean entry points
active today. The most distant, and
most vigorous, is the Waikupanaha
entry, which has been active since
March 2008. In the foreground are
two entry points at the west
Waikupanaha entry area, which has
been active over the past few weeks.
Right.Scattered breakouts,
like the one shown here, continue to
be active on the coastal plain and
are situated west of the main
Waikupanaha tube and just inland of
the west Waikupanaha ocean entry.
6 November 2009
Lava continues at
Waikupanaha and surface activity at Kalapana
access road
Left. Lava continues to flow
into the ocean at the
well-established Waikupanaha ocean
entry. About 700 yards to the west
(up the coastline in this
photograph), the new ocean entry
puts off a small plume that is
barely visible from this vantage
point. Surface flows (light grey
flows) in between the two ocean
entries were only 100 yards shy of
reaching the ocean, but did not
appear active from the air.
Right.Surface activity continued
in several small areas above the
Kalapana access road, burning more
vegetation in the forested kipuka.
The trailhead to the county viewing
area sits at the end of what remains
of the access road, shown here at
the top-middle portion of the
photograph.
4 November 2009
Awesome sites at Waikupanaha ocean
entry
Left.
Activity at the west Waikupanaha ocean
entry, where lava reached the ocean this
past weekend, continues. The entry spans
about 200 yards, with many small lava
streams entering the water. Right.One
of the entry points, on the east side of the
west Waikupanaha entry.
Left. On
the east margin of the entry, lobes were
advancing over a small black sand beach.
Right.Breakouts continued near the
County lava viewing trail. This breakout,
which is burning a downed hala tree, was
about 300 yards west of the trailhead.
3 November 2009
Several collapses exposed more of
the lava deep within Halema`uma`u vent
Several
collapses early this morning exposed more of
the lava pond deep within the Halema`uma`u
vent cavity. For the last several days,
glowing and spattering holes (top image)
have been active on the floor of the vent
cavity, at a depth of about 200 yards below
the vent rim. At 3:06 am, a partial collapse
of the floor created a single large opening
within which lava was vigorously spattering
(middle image). The opening enlarged further
with another collapse around 6 am, which
improved the view of the circulating lava
pond (bottom image). These images are from
the Halema`uma`u Overlook webcam, which can
be viewed via the "webcams" link at the top
of this page.
Eruption-viewing opportunities change constantly, so
refer to this page often. Those readers planning a visit
to Kilauea or Mauna Loa volcanoes can get much useful
information from
Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park.
Kilauea Update: 23 October
2009
Lava flow crossed the
former Kalapana access road
A lava flow
crossed the former Kalapana access road around 1:45
am on October 23, 2009. Although this flow was not
moving by the afternoon, the road continued to burn.
22 October 2009
Aerial view of the
summit and surface flows at the coast
Left. Aerial view into the Halema`uma`u Overlook
vent. A single glowing hole on the floor of the vent
was visible due to the steep angle and temporary
break in fume. The glowing hole is the faint orange
dot a little below the center of the photograph.
Right. Surface flows on the coastal plain are
burning vegetation in the kipuka adjacent to the
former Kalapana access road. The eastern most active
flow (the shiny area putting off smoke and fume just
below the center of the photo), has not yet reached
the old road.
21 October 2009
Awesome image! - a
narrow finger invades a thickly vegetated kipuka
Left. A persistent breakout on the pali has fed
a narrow lobe of pahoehoe lava that has slowly
advanced across the coastal plain over the past
week. This active lobe today was within 50 yards of
the former location of the Kalapana access road,
which is about 700 yards north of the coast. This
breakout was largely flowing over the existing flow
field, so there was no significant flow field
expansion. Right. Minor fingers of lava
active on the edge of the existing flow field caused
small areas of flow field expansion, amounting to no
more than a few tens of yards. Here, a narrow finger
invades a thickly vegetated kipuka, cascading down a
steep slope and ponding in a small depression.
Hissing and crackling sounds, and small methane
bursts, were common.
16 October 2009
Plumes at Halema`uma`u
Overlook and Pu`u `Ō `ō
Left. View of the Halema`uma`u Overlook vent
looking southwest. Although the plume looks
relatively thin, it is still too thick to see into
the vent with the naked eye. Right. Due to a
northerly wind direction, a glimpse of the south
wall of Pu`u `Ō `ō can be seen through the fume. The
very distinct plume in the bottom of the picture is
coming from the east wall vent.
Shots of TEB flow field
and Waikupanaha lava delta
Left. A wide shot of the TEB flow field and
Waikupanaha lava delta. Recent breakouts have made
it to the coastal plain on the eastern margin of the
flow (light gray colored flow in the middle of the
photo). Right. The lava is entering the ocean
in two places along the Waikupanaha lava delta.
Since the two entries are so close to each other,
the plume can either look like one or two entries,
from a distance.
8 October 2009
Lava continues to flow
at the Waikupanaha ocean entry
Left. Steep aerial view of the Waikupanaha ocean
entry with lava entering the water along a broad
front. Right. Southerly winds pushed much of
the fume out of the Pu`u `Ō `ō crater, permitting
some of the best views of the crater since July
2007. The Pu`u `Ō `ō webcam is a small,
light-colored dot on the crater rim at the upper
left corner of the photo. The view is toward the
east.
Left. View from over Kīlauea's southwest rift
zone looking east at the plume rising from
Halema'uma'u. Right. View of the fuming
collapse crater in Halema'uma'u. The Halema'uma'u
overlook-not open to tourist visitation-is at the
upper right corner of the photo.
3 October 2009
Quicktime movie showing
the disappearance of the lava pond within Halema`uma`u
This Quicktime
movie shows the disappearance of the lava pond deep
within the Halema`uma`u vent cavity during the early
morning hours of October 3. The lava surface
undergoes two filling and draining cycles, and then
retreats to deeper levels in the conduit, completely
out of view, around 2 am.
2 October 2009
Quicktime movie showing
cycles of filling and draining within Halema`uma`u
This Quicktime
movie shows lava pond activity within the
Halema`uma`u vent cavity captured with the low-light
camera situated at the Halema`uma`u Overlook. The
entire night of Oct 1-2, 2009, is shown here in 26
seconds, so the speed of the video is increased
considerably. You can see many cycles of filling and
draining, with each cycle lasting about two hours.
There is also alternating vigor at two distinct
spattering sources (one on the right side of the
image, and a second near the center of the image).
The process controlling filling and draining cycles
is not fully understood, but is thought to be
related to variations in gas content in the conduit.
Images from this camera can be viewed in real-time
by clicking on the link for "webcams" at the top of
this page and choosing the Halema`uma`u Overlook
camera.
1 October 2009
Lava continues to flow
at the Waikupanaha ocean entry
Left. Lava continues to flow through a tube to
the ocean, reaching the water at the Waikupanaha
ocean entry. This photo shows the Waikupanaha plume,
emanating from three streams of lava entering the
water at the front of the lava delta. Right.
A closer view of the Waikupanaha delta, where each
plume source represents a separate stream of lava
entering the water.
Left. Breakouts restarted several days ago at
the top of Royal Gardens subdivision, after a brief
hiatus earlier this week. This photo has captured a
small finger of pāhoehoe flowing into an old
skylight. An associated Quicktime movie posted on
this page shows the motion of the flow. Right.
An HVO geologist uses a rock hammer to sample an
active pāhoehoe toe for geochemical analysis. The
lava is immediately quenched in a bucket of water to
freeze the sample in its pristine state.
Quicktime movie showing
fluid motion of pāhoehoe flow at Royal Gardens subdivision
This video shows
the remarkable fluid motion of a finger of pāhoehoe
flowing into an old skylight at the top of Royal
Gardens subdivision. The movement of the viscous
lava resembles that of soft-serve ice cream.
30 September 2009
Quicktime movie showing
vigorous spattering deep within Halema`uma`u vent
This Quicktime
movie shows vigorous spattering at the northeast
margin of the lava pond that is deep within the
Halema`uma`u vent cavity. The lava surface, cut by
incandescent cracks, is slowly migrating towards the
southeast (down in this image). The lava pond has
been visible the last several nights in the
Halema`uma`u Overlook webcam (see 'webcams' link
above).
Quicktime movie showing
collapse of the unstable walls within Halema`uma`u vent
This Quicktime
movie shows two separate rockfalls impacting and
disrupting the active lava pond in Halema`uma`u.
Rockfalls here result from collapse of the unstable
walls of the vent cavity, and are a common
occurrence. The first rockfall impacts the lava
surface vertically, while the second features small
vertical impacts followed by a slide of material
that forces the lava surface to slosh towards the
north.
29 September 2009
Quicktime movie showing
spattering deep within Halema`uma`u vent
This Quicktime
movie shows spattering on the northeast margin of a
small lava pond deep within the Halema`uma`u vent
cavity. The video was shot in "nightshot" mode,
which provides improved views through the thick fume
at night. Each spatter burst represents a gas
bubble, or bubbles, breaking at the surface.
26 September 2009
Quicktime movie showing
a brown plume event within the Halema`uma`u vent cavity
This Quicktime
movie shows a brown plume event resulting from a
collapse within the Halema`uma`u vent cavity. Later
views into the vent cavity with a thermal camera
revealed that the floor of the vent cavity—at about
200 yards below the vent rim—had fallen away,
deepening the vent cavity even further.
24 September 2009
Spectacular views of
Kīlauea's Summit and East Rift Zone
Left. This wide-angle shot shows the
Halema`uma`u plume rising from the vent and drifting
towards the southwest. Weak to moderate glow has
been observed at the vent over the last week.
Right. On Kīlauea's east rift zone, lava
continues to flow through a tube to the ocean.
Sporadic breakouts from the tube have fed surface
flows, like this one, over the past few weeks. A
common source of recent breakouts has been a spot at
the top of Royal Gardens subdivision. This image
shows a small finger of pāhoehoe on the east margin
of this breakout.
17 September 2009
Quicktime movie showing
an explosion from the vent in Halema`uma`u
An explosion at
3:13am from the vent in Halema`uma`u ejected hot
particles about a hundred yards above the vent rim,
and several tens of yards above the Halema`uma`u
Overlook. This Quicktime movie (shown at x2 speed)
shows the event captured by a low-light camera in
the HVO observation tower.
This image shows
a frame captured during the 3:13am explosion by the
low-light webcam situated at the Halema`uma`u
Overlook. The camera here looks directly downwards
into the vent. Hot particles can be seen deep in the
cavity (the small white dots in the center of the
image), as well as zooming in front of the camera
(particle traces in the upper right portion of the
image). The camera survived the event unscathed.
Tephra sample from
3:13am explosion and view from TEB
Left. An example of tephra ejected during the
3:13am explosion and deposited around the
Halema`uma`u Overlook. The largest particle
collected was almost five inches in size, but most
particles were less than an inch in size. The
texture indicates these particles were ejected from
a fluid lava column, and solidified in the air
before impacting the ground. Right. Lava
continues to erupt from the TEB vent on Kīlauea's
east rift zone. The vent is on the skyline in the
upper right, and points of fume mark the current
lava tube. Lava empties from the tube into the sea
at the Waikupanaha ocean entry, shown by the plume
in the upper left portion of the photo. In the
foreground are residences in Kalapana.
Thermal movie showing a
view inside the Halema`uma`u vent cavity
This Quicktime
movie shows a view into the Halema`uma`u vent cavity
with a thermal camera. To the naked eye, the vent is
entirely obscured by thick fume, but the thermal
camera can 'see' through much of this and provide
views of the cavity interior. These views show four
puffing holes on the floor of the cavity. North is
to the right. The 3:13am explosion originated from
one of the southerly holes.
13 September 2009
Quicktime movie showing
two degassing holes on the floor of Halema`uma`u
This Quicktime
movie shows two degassing holes on the floor of the
Halema`uma`u cavity. Lava is just below the rim of
the two holes, creating frequent spattering which
falls around their rims. Within the larger of the
two (on the right), lava can be seen vigorously
sloshing. For scale, these openings are about 10
yards wide. The first half of the movie is shown in
normal mode, with the second half shown in 'nightshot'
mode.
11 September 2009
Stunning views of
Kīlauea's Summit and East Rift Zone vents
Left.
View of Halema`uma`u crater from the air, looking
west. Kīlauea's summit vent, which has been active
since March 2008, is situated at the south end of
the crater. Today the vent was emitting a robust
white plume, which drifted towards the southwest.
Right. Kīlauea's east rift zone vent, named the
Thanksgiving Eve Breakout (TEB) vent due to its
start on November 21, 2007, is also hosting ongoing
activity. Lava rises from depth at this location,
but is normally out of view due to the low shield
built over the vent. Rare views deep into the pit
crater, visible here, have shown lava flowing
swiftly southwards into the tube system.
9 September 2009
Quicktime movie showing
Halema`uma`u changing of the typical white to dusty brown plume
This Quicktime
movie shows a recent instance of the Halema`uma`u
changing from its typical white to a dusty brown.
The brown plume events are normally associated with
collapses of the cavity walls.
3 September 2009
Actual speed Quicktime
movie showing TEB lava stream through a skylight
This Quicktime
movie shows a view into the Thanksgiving Eve
Breakout (TEB) lava tube, thanks to a skylight (a
hole in the roof of the tube). The lava stream,
which is about two yards below the skylight, is
moving swiftly downhill (the video is shown at
actual speed), towards the Waikupanaha ocean entry.
3 September 2009
Surface lava flows near
Royal Gardens subdivison and a skylight
Left. After several weeks without surface lava
on the flow field, a new breakout started yesterday
(Wednesday, Sept 2, 2009) near the top of the pali
above the Royal Gardens subdivision (the shiny patch
of lava just above the center of the photo). The
flow was picturesque, but not large, and had not
traveled very far despite having been active for
nearly a day. Right. A skylight on the lava
tube above the top of the pali allowed views of the
lava stream flowing down-slope. Velocity
measurements showed the lava stream to be traveling
at 27.5 kph (17 mph).
Infilled delta at
Waikupanaha with narrow streams of lava entering the ocean
A small delta
collapse at Waikupanaha last Friday (August 28,
2009) had largely been filled in by today. The
infilled delta is the lighter colored lava at the
center of the photo and is bounded on its left by a
small scarp. Several narrow streams of lava were
pouring into the ocean along the front of the
reconstructed part of the delta creating a broad
plume.
27 August 2009
Active terrace of the
Waikupanaha delta and a bright skylight
Left. The lower, active terrace of the
Waikupanaha delta, seen here, has grown seaward over
the last several days, becoming about as large it
has ever been. Last year, growth like this often
ended with delta collapses that blasted rocks up to
a few hundred meters (yards) inland. Though
conditions may have changed, the situation at the
current delta may especially hazardous. Right.
Holes in the roof of a lava tube, like this one
here, are called skylights. The deep red
incandescence is the surface of the lava stream as
it flows toward the ocean at Waikupanaha. The tube
roof surrounding this skylight, which is about a
meter (yard) across, is very thin, and aerial views
show a large cavity beneath the surface in all
directions. Skylights like this one should
absolutely be avoided.
18 August 2009
View of Pu`u `Ō `ō, TEB
and Waikupanaha ocean entry
Left. View looking southeast at Pu`u `Ō `ō cone
in the foreground, the TEB vent and upper tube
system to the left, and the Waikupanaha ocean entry
above Pu`u `Ō `ō in the background. Right.
View looking south at the TEB tube and recent flows
at the top of the pali. The small collapse pits
delineate the trace of the tube in this area. The
lighter-colored lava just beyond the pits is part of
the series of surface flows that have usually been
active on the pali since the beginning of June. None
of these flows were active today, however.
Left. One of the more recent surface flows
active on the pali burned a new path through the
Royal Gardens subdivision along the western edge of
the TEB flow field. These flows traveled only a
short distance out on to the coastal plain before
stagnating in recent days. Right. Though
reduced in size, the Waikupanaha ocean entry was
active today with a couple of small lava streams
entering the ocean. The tube system carrying lava to
the ocean can be traced back across the coastal
plain and up the pali as a series of widely spaced
fume sources. The recent flows on the pali show up
much lighter in color than the older lava beneath.
Pu`u `Ō `ō is visible on the skyline at the top
center of the photo.
10 August 2009
Thermal video showing
the new gas vent in Halema`uma`u cavity
This Quicktime
movie shows the new gas vent which opened yesterday
on the floor of the cavity in Halema`uma`u.
Following this reawakening, very faint glow was
observed last night for the first time since July 4.
7 August 2009
Breakouts in Royal
Gardens subdivision and a small skylight over the lava tube
Left. Breakouts in Royal Gardens subdivision
continued this week on both the eastern and western
margins of the TEB flow field. The western breakout,
shown here, has cut two swaths through the forest
and reached the base of pali. The flow, which was
active this morning, crosses Plumeria Street about
400 yards east of the last occupied structure (red
roof in upper left of image) in the subdivision.
Right. A small skylight over the lava tube on
the coastal plain.
Cool thermal/visible
image of active flows in Royal Gardens
This image shows
the distribution of active flows in Royal Gardens.
In the thermal image (top), active flows are shown
as yellow. Two major breakout areas are easily
visible in the thermal image. The western breakout
has cut through vegetation to reach the base of the
pali, with the flow front marked by letter A. The
eastern breakout has expanded the eastern margin of
the flow field (point C), with the flow front at the
base of the pali (point B). Pu`u `Ō `ō can be seen
fuming in the distance, in the upper left of the
photograph.
31 July 2009
Cool aerial views of
Halema`uma`u and Pu`u `Ō `ō crater
Left. View looking southeast toward Kīlauea's
broad summit shield from above the northeast rift of
Mauna Loa. The wimpy plume from the vent in
Halema'uma'u crater is just above center frame.
Right. Zoomed-in view of Kīlauea's summit and
the plume from the vent in Halema'uma'u.
Left. Aerial view looking east toward across
Kīlauea's summit caldera toward the plume from
Halema'uma'u. The summit and enormous southwest
flank of Mauna Loa is in the background. Right.
Looking down at the vent in Halema'uma'u. The
partly-destroyed overlook fence is to the right and
about 85 m (280 ft) above the vent opening in the
crater floor. The vent opening is 132 m (430 ft)
across measured from the lower left side to the
upper right side of the photo. The opening is 125 m
(410 ft) across measured from lower right to upper
left. This view shows how crater floor on the north
(upper left) side of the opening remains
considerably overhung.
Left. View looking south into Pu`u `Ō `ō crater.
Heavy fume prevents decent views into the crater, so
this is about as good as it gets.Right. View
of the heavily fuming TEB vent on Kīlauea's east
rift zone. Lava erupts beneath this vent and enter
the lava tube system—the string of fume sources
leading off into the distance—before being visible
at the surface. The tube system carries the lava to
the ocean, about 11.5 km (7 miles) away, where it
forms the Waikupanaha ocean entry.
Left. Lava breakouts have been active over the
past week on the west side of the TEB flow field in
the upper part of Royal Gardens. These are the
lightest-colored flows in the upper right quadrant
of the photo. A deflation/inflation cycle (DI event)
at Kīlauea's summit overnight resulted in a
slow-down in activity on the flow field, so there
was only minor surface activity today. The flows are
coming down to the east of the last
occasionally-occupied house in the subdivision (the
red-roofed structure in the photo).Right.
Despite the slow-down in activity this morning, lava
continues to enter the ocean at Waikupanaha where a
small, unstable delta clings to the sea cliff. Fume
and white staining at least partly traces the tube
system upslope to the Royal Gardens subdivision on
the slope in the upper left-hand side of the photo.
Fume from the TEB vent is on the skyline just above
the pali, and Pu`u `Ō `ō is the small cone on the
skyline on the left edge of the photo.
29 July 2009
Large plume at
Waikupanaha ocean entry and sampling from a large skylight
Left. Wide shot of the TEB flow field on the
pali. Breakouts continue on the east and west flow
field margins, along with minor activity in the
interior. Right. The Waikupanaha ocean entry
continues to produce a large plume, while the
Kupapa`u entry (not pictured) remains inactive
following last week's DI event on July 19.
Left. Large skylight just below the split in the
main TEB lava tube. The Waikupanaha ocean entry
plume is in the background. Right. Geologist
using the head of a sledge hammer attached to a
cable to sample from the skylight.
23 July 2009
Active surface flows in
Royal Gardens subdivision and cool view of the channel forming a
tube
Left. Scattered surface flows continued to be
active on the pali in Royal Gardens subdivision.
This flow was fed by a small, steep channel in the
upper left of the photograph. Portions of the flow
were invading adjacent forest, sparking small fires.Right.
A narrow channel directs lava down the pali into
a small breakout.
Left. A close-up view of the channel, which is
beginning to crust over to form a tube. Right.
Another portion of the breakout, where lava
cascades over a small break in slope.
16 July 2009
Small breakout near top
of Royal Gardens subdivision and Waikupanaha ocean entry
Left. A small breakout near the top of the Royal
Gardens subdivision was burning trees near a remnant
of Ali'i Avenue this morning. This breakout was
coming from the western branch of the lava tube
system which is the branch that supplies the
Kupapa'u ocean entry. The lighter-colored lava from
a breakout that approached Ali'i Avenue a few weeks
ago is visible just upslope from the active flow.Right.
Most of the active flows in recent weeks have
been concentrated on the mid to lower pali in, and
to the east of, Royal Gardens. In the past week,
some of this activity followed the eastern margin of
the TEB flow field, destroying yet another house in
the subdivision. Compare this photo with similarly
oriented photos from July 1 and June 26. The
destroyed house is just a hair up and to the left of
the image center.
Left. This up-slope view shows the new flows
that expanded the eastern margin of the TEB flow
field. The destroyed house is just below and to the
right image center.Right. In this close-up of
the burned structure, notice how the metal roofing
is on top of the lava. The lava had apparently
flowed through this part of the building, which was
probably a garage, before the framing completely
burned and the roof collapsed.
Left. Despite an abundance of surface activity
on the pali, there is still enough flow to supply
lava to two ocean entries—Waikupanaha in the
foreground and Kupapa'u in the distance. The lower
terrace of the Waikupanaha delta seaward of the main
sea cliff scarp is about 225 m (245 yards) long and
extends 75 m (80 yards) out into the water. The main
scarp, as well as the smaller scarp on the lower
terrace, were created by delta collapses over the
past several months.Right. A beautiful
breakout was active on the Waikupanaha delta when we
flew over this morning. The lava was pouring into
the ocean and creating small littoral explosions
that tossed fragmented lava into the air.
10 July 2009
TEB flow field in the
upper part of Royal Gardens subdivision
Left. View of the TEB flow field in the upper
part of the Royal Gardens subdivision. The only
active lava flows seen this morning, visible at the
center of the photo, were burning trees along the
east side of the TEB flow field. The TEB tube and
vent are the fume sources in the background.
Right. Ground view of lava flows slowly
consuming a small forested kipuka.
4 July 2009
Happy Fourth of July!
Quicktime movie of
Halema`uma`u showing the lava surface deep within the cavity
This Quicktime
movie shows the lava surface deep within the
Halema`uma`u cavity. The lava surface is relatively
sluggish, with little movement and only one
spattering source.
Left. View of the lava surface within the
Halema`uma`u cavity showing a crusted lava surface
with spattering from a single source along the
northeast margin. Right. A long exposure
taken a little later reveals more of the lava
surface.
3 July 2009
Quicktime movie of
Halema`uma`u showing spattering and sloshing at the ponded lava
surface
This Quicktime
movie shows a source of minor spattering at the
margin of the ponded lava surface within the
Halema`uma`u cavity. Weak sloshing of the lava
surface can be seen around the spattering source.
1 July 2009
East rift zone eruption
site from vent to ocean entry
Left. View of the east rift zone eruption site
from vent to ocean entry. The TEB vent, where the
lava erupts and enters the lava tube system, is the
large fume source in foreground. The prominent
plumes in the background are the ocean entries, with
the larger Waikupanaha entry to the left of the
smaller Kupapa`u entry. The smaller fume sources
between the vent and the ocean entries define the
trace of the lava tube system carrying lava across
the upper flow field. Right. For the last
several weeks, lava flows have been advancing along
the eastern side of the active flow field-that part
of the flow field created since July 21, 2007, when
the current vent first erupted. These flows, seen
here as the silvery flows in the center of the
photo, remain active near the base of the pali on
the eastern edge of the Royal Gardens subdivision.
The unoccupied house seen in the photo remains safe
for now.
Kīlauea's summit in
perspective to smaller view of Halema`uma`u crater
Left.
Only minor activity, such as that shown here, was
active on Thursday morning (July 1), but Civil
Defense officials reported that the amount of
activity had increased substantially by nightfall.
Right. The active vent at Kīlauea's summit
looks relatively small from this perspective,
occupying only small portion of the southeast side
of Halema`uma`u crater.
Left. The visitor overlook-the brown fence at
the top of the cliff above the vent opening-offers a
sense of scale to the actual size of the summit
vent. Right. A wispy plume from the summit
vent, a consequence of the collapses that occurred
on Tuesday, June 30, allowed aerial views into the
vent. The Halema`uma`u crater wall is on the left
side of the photo with the crater floor to the
right. A talus slope is visible extending down from
the base of the cliff on the left (southeast) side
of the vent to a deeper opening on the right
(northwest) side of the vent. Rubble is barely
visible within this deeper opening where the lava
surface had been visible prior to the collapses.
Before and after
collapses of Halema`uma`u crater
Left. A comparison of photos from before and
after the collapses, taken by a time-lapse camera
positioned on the NE rim of Halema`uma`u Crater,
show considerable expansion of the vent opening. The
black line in this image shows the shape of the vent
rim a few days before the collapses. The vent is now
123 meters (404 feet) wide from this perspective,
having increased by 23 meters (75 feet). Right.
A comparison of photos from before and after the
collapses, taken by a time-lapse camera in the HVO
observation tower, also show considerable expansion
of the vent opening. Again, the black line in this
image shows the shape of the vent rim a few days
before the collapses. The vent is now 132 meters
(430 feet) wide from this view, representing an
increase of 9 meters (30 feet).
30 June 2009
Widening of Halema`uma`u
vent from a series of collapses
Left. On Tuesday afternoon, June 30, a series of
collapses within the vent in Halema`uma`u led to
considerable widening of the vent and choked the
vent with rubble. This photo is of the ash cloud
from the initial collapse at 1:39 pm. Right.
A time-lapse camera about 300 meters (yards)
northeast of the vent captured this ash cloud, from
a collapse at 2:20 pm, just at it emerged from the
vent.
'Nightshot' mode
Quicktime movie of lava surface within the cavity of
Halema`uma`u
This Quicktime
movie shows the lava surface within the cavity at
Halema`uma`u. Keeping an eye on the lower left
portion of the screen, one can see a large rock
impacting the lava surface. This impact appears to
trigger degassing and overturning that migrates
across a large portion of the lava surface.
29 June 2009
Awesome early morning
view of glow in Halema`uma`u crater
Left.
Early morning view of glow from the vent in
Halema`uma`u crater. Right. Closer view of
glow from the vent in Halema`uma`u crater.
Breakouts in the Royal
Gardens subdivision
Left. Over the past several days, breakouts in
the Royal Gardens subdivision have continued to
expand the east margin of the flow field. The flows
are slowly covering what is left of several small
kipuka. Right. Another view of the active
flows as they continue toward the coastal plain. The
shiny flow through the center of the kipuka is no
longer active, but the three shiny lobes to the
right continue to expand the margin.
26 June 2009
Silvery patches dot the
flow field
Left. Dozens of small breakouts, seen here as
the silvery patches, dot the flow field near the top
of the Royal Gardens subdivision. Tuberose Street
and Pakalana Street, which would cross the photo
from top to bottom, are buried somewhere beneath
these flows. Right. Active flows narrowly
missed this abandoned house just off of Queen Avenue
between Plumeria Street and Paradise Street.
Left. View looking up at the TEB flow field
where it crossed through the center of the Royal
Gardens subdivision on Pūlama pali. Right.
This abandoned house, just off of Paradise Street
between Royal Avenue and King Avenue, was burned by
lava-sparked fires months ago but buried by new
flows in the past few weeks. All that remains are
the water tanks, completely surrounded by lava.
Left. Fragments of pāhoehoe lava, tossed by
helicopter rotor wash, get blown into this skylight
near the top of Royal Gardens subdivision. Right.
Lava continues to pour into the ocean at the
Waikupanaha and Kupapa'u ocean entries.
Left. Lava samples, for chemical analyses, are
collected nearly each week using little more than a
rock hammer and a bucket of water. Right. The
molten lava, when collected, is about 1150 oC
(2100 oF) and instantly boils
air-temperature water.
25 June 2009
'Nightshot' mode
Quicktime movie of Halema`uma`u crusted lava surface and
occasional spatter
This Quicktime
movie shows activity of the lava surface deep within
the Halema`uma`u cavity. The crusted lava surface is
moving slowly from northeast to southwest, with
occasional bursts of spatter from the margins and
cracks. The first half of the movie is shown at
actual speed, with the second half shown at x10
speed to convey the sense of movement and illustrate
the oscillations of the lava surface.
23 June 2009
Tephra collectors
collect typical daily sample and depict a cute smiley face
Left. A typical daily sample from one of the
tephra collectors near the Halema`uma`u Overlook
vent. The samples collected are often small in
amount, and dominantly ash sized (< 2 mm, or < 0.08
in). The collector id, time, and date collected are
noted on the sample bag. Right. Several
pieces of tephra were picked from the sample in the
previous picture to show an example of the material
found in the collectors. When the lava level in the
vent is high, there are usually spheres, tears, and
hair in the sample. The white pieces in the picture
are lithic fragments, which are also found in the
collectors and come from the walls of the vent
opening. Since the tephra is so small, this image
was taken with a microscope camera. The tick marks
on the top are 1 mm (0.04 in) apart.
22 June 2009
'Nightshot' mode
Quicktime movie of Halema`uma`u crusted and sluggish lava
surface
This Quicktime
movie shows the lava surface within the Halema`uma`u
cavity, again using 'nightshot' mode to see through
the fume. The lava surface this evening was
considerably more crusted and sluggish than on
previous nights, and had risen a minor amount
compared to much of last week. The lava migrates
from the top of screen towards the bottom, with
occasional bubble bursts disrupting the surface.
19 June 2009
TEB lava tube breakout
and finger of pāhoehoe invades Royal Gardens
Left. A breakout, active over the past several
weeks, from the TEB lava tube overruns more of Royal
Gardens subdivision, burning vegetation and burying
abandoned structures. In the distant upper left is
the TEB vent, with a line of fuming sources tracing
the path of the lava tube. In the lower right is the
intersection of Queen Avenue and Orchid Street.
Right. A finger of pāhoehoe invades and buries
an abandoned structure in Royal Gardens, near Queen
Avenue, as other fingers ignite nearby vegetation.
Left. An HVO geologist takes a sample of lava
from an active pāhoehoe lobe in the upper reaches of
Royal Gardens subdivision. Right. The two
ocean entries—Waikupanaha and Kupapa`u—remained
active this week. This photo shows several small
streams of lava entering the water at the front of
the Waikupanaha delta.
17 June 2009
'Nightshot' mode
Quicktime movie of Halema`uma`u rolling lava surface
This Quicktime
movie shows the roiling lava surface within the
cavity in Halema`uma`u. The video was captured in 'nightshot'
mode in order to see through the fume, which
obscured viewing by the naked eye. Vigorous
upwelling occurs in the northeast (upper right)
corner of the opening, with the southwest corner
consisting of passively sloshing, and partly crusted
lava.
13 June 2009
Quicktime movie of
Halema`uma`u lava lake draining event
This Quicktime
movie shows a draining event in the Halema`uma`u
lava lake. Filling and draining cycles have been
observed before here, but this video is one of the
clearest examples thus far. The video is shown at
actual speed, with draining taking about 40 seconds.
Note the draining is highly unsteady, and proceeds
in a step-wise fashion. These cycles of filling and
draining are due to the episodic release of
accumulated gas in the conduit.
11 June 2009
Active terminus in Royal
Gardens and large plumes from Waikupanaha and Kupapa`u ocean
entries
Left. Geologist replaces an existing time-lapse
camera after several recent camera failures. The
camera looks at the current ocean entries of
Waikupanaha (left) and Kupapa`u (right). Right.
The terminus of an active portion of a breakout
from the May 29 DI event. The lava is burning trees
and shrubs as it flows through the Royal Gardens
subdivision.
Left. The Waikupanaha and Kupapa`u ocean entries
continue to produce moderate to large steam plumes.
The county viewing area is visible between the
groups of trees in the lower right corner of the
photograph. Right. A close-up of several lava
streams entering the ocean at Waikupanaha.
8 June 2009
Picturesque view of
Halema`uma`u crater
Good weather
allows for a clear view of Halema`uma`u crater and
the eruption plume.
4 June 2009
Another rare look into
Halema`uma`u crater
This Quicktime
video shows another rare view of the active lava
surface deep within the cavity in Halema`uma`u
crater. The lava is approximately 100 m below the
floor of Halema`uma`u. The lava surface is disrupted
by waves, splashes, bubbling and upwelling, with
overall lava movement from the upper right to the
lower left.
Small breakout near
Kupapa`u ocean entry and at Royal Gardens subdivision
Left. A deflation-inflation (DI) event produced
a surge of lava over the past several days, creating
a small breakout on the coastal plain, a few hundred
meters inland from the Kupapa`u ocean entry. The
breakout appears as two silvery fingers, one of
which has reached the sea cliff. Between the two
fingers, an area of active fuming marks the location
of the lava tube feeding the ocean entry.Right.
The surge of lava over the past several days has
also created a breakout at the top of Royal Gardens
subdivision. Today, the breakout was still active,
and was feeding a number of small channelized
pāhoehoe flows radiating out from the breakout
point.
Left. In this close-up view of the breakout at
the top of Royal Gardens, a vigorous lobe of
pāhoehoe - fed by a small channel upstream -
advances over older flows. Right. An HVO
geologist collects a fresh sample of the active
breakout at the top of Royal Gardens, using a rock
hammer and water bucket for quenching. Because the
lava was coming directly out of the tube, it was
remarkably gas-rich, and had the consistency of
marshmallow fluff.
Gas sampling site on
Halema`uma`u Crater
Left. Geologist sampling gas from a fumarole on
the north side of Halema`uma`u Crater. Right.
A second gas sampling site on the west side of
Halema`uma`u Crater, informally called the "smiley
face fumarole."
3 June 2009
Rare view into
Halema`uma`u vent
Left. Conditions provided a rare view of active
lava in the Halema`uma`u vent. This photograph is
looking down into the cavity, and gives a sense of
how deep the lava was. The small area of active,
circulating lava was about 100 meters below the
crater floor. Right. Close-up view of the
active lava surface. Lava was emerging in the upper
right and flowing at a remarkable rate towards the
lower left, where it would disappear from sight.
Awesome Quicktime movie
of Halema`uma`u crater
This Quicktime
movie shows the behavior of the active lava at the
base of the cavity in Halema`uma`u crater. Lava
emerged in the upper right and flowed towards the
lower left. The surface was disrupted by a chaos of
waves, splashes, bubble bursts and spattering. The
video is shown at actual speed.
Eruption-viewing
opportunities change constantly, so refer to this page often.
Those readers planning a visit to Kilauea or Mauna Loa volcanoes
can get much useful information from
Hawai`i Volcanoes National
Park.
OCEAN ENTRY - LAVA VIEWING AREA:
Visitors are
allowed entry to
the viewing area
every day from 2
p.m., with the
last vehicles
admitted at 8:00
p.m. This will
allow officials
to ensure that
everybody is out
of the area by
10 p.m.
The
viewing area is
closed between
10 pm and 2 pm.
This schedule is
subject to
change;
hazardous
conditions may
require changes
to the schedule
or closure.
- click on map
for larger view-
Hawai`i County
Civil Defense
has set up a new
telephone
hotline to
provide daily
updates on
viewing at the
Kalapana Safe
Viewing site.
The lava hotline
phone number is
961-8093,
which lets you
know the lava
viewing hours
for the day
ahead. The lava
hotline
automated
message is
updated every
day at 10 a.m.
The Kalapana
Safe Viewing
program at the
volcanic
eruption site is
a wonderful
natural
attraction, and
the County Civil
Defense Agency
wants all
visitors to
enjoy the
experience in
safety and
comfort.
With that in
mind, we
encourage
visitors to
prepare not only
for sunny days
at the lava
viewing sight
but also for
rain.
Please note that
there are no
shelters at the
site in case of
rain.
For your comfort
and convenience,
please prepare
for rain
keeping in mind
any trip hazard:
·
An umbrella
and/or
·
Windbreaker or
raincoat
Visitors are
also strongly
advised to
take the
following gear
for both safety
and comfort:
·
Bottled water
(2-3 quarts or
liters per
person)
·
Sturdy closed
boots or shoes
and socks
·
Flashlight (1
per person) and
fresh batteries
·
Long pants
·
Sun hat and
sunscreen
·
Binoculars
(optional)
Visitors are
reminded to obey
all the warning
signs and stay
within the
allowed areas to
ensure their
safety. The
newly formed
lava and black
sand beach are
extremely
unstable,
and can collapse
into the ocean
at any time.
Visitors must
stay well away
from the
volcanic steam
clouds which
contain
hydrochloric
acid and glass
particles.
Please note:
There is no cell
phone coverage
in the viewing
area.
We ask that
visitors show
the greatest
courtesy and
respect to
the local
residents and
property owners.
Please remember
never to go off
the road or
trail, and
please dispose
of all trash in
the garbage cans
provided.
Guide/interpreters
will be on hand
in the viewing
area to provide
information and
assistance. For
more
information,
please call
Civil Defense at
935-0031.
For the Hawaiian
Volcanoes
Observatory’s
eruption updates
online, please
click on
http://lavainfo.us/
.
PActivity Summary for past 24 hours: A DI event is nearly
complete. At the summit, a circulating, bubbling, and spattering lava
pond surface was visible in a hole in the vent cavity floor deep beneath
Halema`uma`u Crater floor; its level rose several meters covering the
entire vent floor before dropping but remaining visible in the Overlook
vent Webcam. Sulfur dioxide emission rates from the Halema`uma`u and
east rift zone vents remain elevated. Lava flows are active on the
coastal plain; lava flows through tubes to the coast and is entering the
ocean at two locations west of Kalapana.
Past 24 hours at Kilauea summit: The lava pond continued bubbling
and circulating at its low level within a hole in the vent cavity floor
deep beneath the vent rim (in the Halema`uma`u Crater floor) until 7:23
pm when it abruptly rose several meters, peaking and covering the entire
vent floor at about 7:30 pm, then draining back into the hole nearly an
hour later; the lava level in the hole remained higher than it was when
the night started but lower than the 7:30 pm peak. Glow is visible from
the Jaggar Museum Overlook. This morning, the dense white plume moves to
the southwest through beautiful clear skies. The most recent sulfur
dioxide emission rate measurement was 800 tonnes/day on November 20,
still elevated above the 2003-2007 average of 140 tonnes/day. Very small
amounts of mostly ash-sized tephra continued to drop out of the plume
near the vent.
The summit tiltmeter network recorded weak inflation completing the most
recent DI event. The GPS network, which is less sensitive than the
tiltmeter network, recorded contraction starting at the beginning of
November switching to extension after November 12th.
Seismic tremor levels remained at low values with a drop. The number of
RB2S2BL earthquakes remained below background levels. Two earthquakes
were strong enough to be located on south flank faults.
Past 24 hours at the middle east rift zone vents and flow field:
Magma continued to degas through Pu`u `O`o crater before erupting from
the TEB vent, located 2 km to the east. The most recent sulfur dioxide
emission rate measurement was 1,300 tonnes/day on November 21, below the
2003-2007 average of 1,700 tonnes/day. Very weak glow was again recorded
from the crater last night.
The tiltmeter on the north flank of Pu`u `O`o recorded the switch to DI
inflation around 9:30 an yesterday and continued slow inflation. The GPS
network, which is less sensitive than the tiltmeter network, recorded
continued slow contraction of the cone, amounting to almost 3 cm of
contraction over the past 3 months. Seismic tremor levels at Pu`u `O`o
and the TEB vent were at low values.
Lava flows through two tube branches to the coast, across State- and
privately-owned land, and was entering the ocean at two general
locations - Waikupanaha and west Waikupanaha 700 m (2,300 ft) to the
west. Yesterday, HVO geologists found scattered surface flows over the
coastal plain and at least one possible surface flow on the pali; a
single entry at Waikupanaha and several at the west Waikupanaha location
were active. GOES-WEST imagery showed thermal anomalies on the coastal
plain suggesting continuing surface flow activity through dawn.
HAZARD ALERT: The lava delta and adjacent areas both inland and
out to sea are some of the most hazardous areas on the flow field.
Frequent delta/bench collapses give little warning, can produce hot rock
falls inland and in the adjacent ocean, and can produce large local
waves. The steam plume produced by lava entering the ocean contains fine
lava fragments and an assortment of acid droplets that can be harmful to
your health. The rapidly changing conditions near the ocean entry have
been responsible for many injuries and a few deaths.
Maps, photos, webcam views, and other information about Kilauea Volcano
are available at http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/hvo/activity/kilaueastatus.php.
A daily update summary is available by phone at (808) 967-8862.
A map with details of earthquakes located within the past two weeks can
be found at http://tux.wr.usgs.gov/
A definition of alert levels can be found at http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/activity/alertsystem/index.php
Definitions of Terms Used:
glow: light from an unseen source; indirect light.
CD: Hawai`i County Civil Defense
RB2S2BL earthquakes: earthquakes that were recorded but were too small
to be located. These quakes have magnitudes less than 1.7 and may only
be recorded by one or two seismometers. Recording at a minimum of 4
seismometer sites is required to locate an earthquake.
tonne: metric unit equal to 1,000 kilograms, 2,204.6 lbs, or 1.1 English
tons.
tephra: all material deposited by fallout from an eruption-related
plume, regardless of size.
ash: tephra less than 2 mm (5/64 inches) in size.
TEB: Thanksgiving Eve Breakout, the designation used for lava flows that
started with a breakout on November 21, 2007.
DI tilt event: DI is an abbreviation for 'deflation-inflation' and
describes a volcanic event of uncertain significance. DI events are
recorded by tiltmeters at Kilauea summit as an abrupt deflation of up to
a few microradians in magnitude lasting several hours to 2-3 days
followed by an abrupt inflation of approximately equal magnitude. The
tilt events are usually accompanied by an increase in summit tremor
during the deflation phase. A careful analysis of these events suggests
that they may be related to changes in magma supply to a storage
reservoir at less than 1 km depth, just east of Halema`uma`u crater.
Usually, though not always, these changes propagate through the magma
conduit from the summit to the eruption site, as many of the DI events
at Kilauea summit are also recorded at a tiltmeter at Pu`u `O`o, delayed
by 1-2 hours. DI events often correlate with lava pulses and/or pauses
in the eruption at the Pu`u `O`o/July 21/TEB vents.
More definitions with photos can be found at http://volcano.wr.usgs.gov/about/pglossary/index.php
.
The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory is one of five volcano observatories
within the U.S. Geological Survey and is responsible for monitoring
volcanoes and earthquakes in Hawai`i.
Volcano
Gallery, P.O.
Box 699, Volcano Village, Big Island of Hawaii (Hawaii) 96785
Phone ( Local / Int'l) 808-967-8617 Toll-Free ( USA)
800-908-9764 Email
Us
last edited:
May 09, 2010 -
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