June 4: Lava Enters Kapoho Bay

june 4 Kilauea Eruption Summary / Infographic by USGS
Text version at link: June 4 Kilauea Infographic, HVO/USGS

Latest numbers: 
Lava coverage ~7.7 square miles, 19.9 square km, 4917 acres.
Janet Snyder, spokesperson from Hawai’i County Mayor’s Office, says at least 117 homes destroyed, but Civil Defense admin Talmadge Magno says probably “a lot more”

Here’s a video clip and two screengrabs to sum up Kilauea’s activity today: a half-mile-wide a’a flow pouring into Kapoho Bay and slowly filling it, while the summit steams weakly after a 5.5 earthquake yesterday.

Kapoho Bay, USGS overflight, 6:13am (HST) this morning:

Screengrabs from the Halema’uma’u and LERZ webcams about 3pm:

Taken from Overlook Vent Wide Angle Webcam, HVO/USGS, Jun 4, 3pm local time. Only light steam.
Screengrab from USGS/HVO Lower East Rift Zone webcam, June 4, 3pm. Fissure 8 still fountaining away with broad lava flow issuing to right (northeast), heading down to Kapoho.

ETA: Oh, look. Perfect angle of the sun right now.

Jun 4, 6:20 pm – Nice webcam image from HVO.

Additional info from HVO morning status report: “Local videographers reported that lava entered the ocean at Kapoho Bay at about 10:30 PM HST on June 3. […] A lava breakout is also occurring upslope [north] of the Kapoho cone cinder pit, with active flows about 330 yards southeast of the intersection of Railroad Avenue and Cinder Road..   […]Following the small [M5.5] explosion at about 3:50 PM HST on June 3, earthquake activity at the summit has been low. Inward slumping of the rim and walls of Halema`uma`u continues in response to persistent subsidence. ”

June 4 Kilauea Eruption Digest:
  • USGS Info/Updates
  • Posts from Other Geologists
  • National Park Damage Report
  • News from Hawaiian Media
  • Images/Videos From Social Media

USGS Morning Briefing

Jessica Ball, USGS. Basically summarized above; here’s transcript.

11AM USGS Conference Call

USGS: Janet Babb (Summary/Paraphrase): Fissure 8 eruption; fountains 220ft. Vigorous channelized flow to NE along Hwy 132 to Kapoho. As of 6:30AM ocean entry delta extends few hundred yards. Only other active fissure, sluggish flow around 18. Gas emissions 9&10, some incandescence 16. Lots of breakouts uphill from Kapoho Cone. Active flows 330yds SE of intersection of Railroad Ave & Cinder Rd. […] Coverage about 20 square km now.

USGS IMAGES

Fissure 8’s back up to its full height, or at least it was yesterday.

USGS/HVO Thermal images of fissure 8. Caption: “What a difference four days makes! These thermal images of fissure 8 fountains erupting on Kīlauea’s lower East Rift Zone show a few things: 1) The lava fountains have gained height—with the tallest one growing from 150 ft to over 250 ft. 2) A pu‘u (cone) has built up downwind. 3) The amount of material wafting downwind is greater. Scientifically, we know the fountain temperatures are reaching up to about 2040 degrees F (1115 C). The composition of the lava erupted has high MgO (magnesium oxide) values, which comes from olivine crystals that are being pulled from deep in the rift zone.” (Full-sized)

The olivine crystals interest me: despite red lava and cutaway diagrams of the Earth, it turns out that the majority of mantle rocks are green (olivine, peridot).

USGS Map of fissures, June 4, 2pm. (Full-sized)

From Other Geologists
Hawaii Civil Defense Alerts

Pretty much same info as yesterday, plus a laze warning:  6AM |  11:30AM | 6PM

More Morning Updates from NPS and HNN:

11 am Video/conference call: Jessica Ferracane of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park reports on damage to park roads, overlooks, structures

Morning eruption news summary from Mileka Lincoln:

#LeilaniEstatesEruption #KilaueaVolcano UPDATE (June 4 at 11:45 AM): According to USGS HVO geologists, the fissure 8 fountain in #LeilaniEstates continues to shoot lava upwards of 220 feet into the air feeding a vigorous channelized flow to the northeast and downslope into Kapoho that has already covered an estimated 5,000 acres and shows no sign of stopping. Hawaiʻi County Civil Defense Agency officials have confirmed the total number of houses claimed by lava has risen from 87 to 117. Janet Snyder, the spokesperson for the Hawaiʻi County Mayor’s Office, says officials can’t be sure how many of those houses were in Kapoho — though eyewitnesses accounts from several individuals who have flown over the area indicate it was at least two dozen. Snyder says Hawaiʻi County Fire officials estimate 20-49 homes were claimed in Kapoho. She says firefighters believe some homes in Vacationland have also been overrun by lava, but most of the houses in Vacationland are still standing — though they are threatened. According to USGS, a lava has built a delta a few hundred yards into Kapoho Bay. Officials say the half mile wide leading edge of the lava flow continues to be fed by a fountaining fissure 8 six miles away. Officials caution that a laze plume is blowing onshore, but dissipating quickly. Anyone in the area needs to be aware of hydrochloric acid and glass particulates from the laze at the ocean entry, which are harmful to the respiratory system and can also be an irritant to eyes and skin. USGS says they are monitoring a lava breakout is also occurring upslope of the Kapoho cone cinder pit, with active flows about 330 yards southeast of the intersection of Railroad Avenue and ‪Cinder Road‬. Civil Defense confirms there is no access to the lower Puna area, Highway 132, and Highway 137 due to lava inundation. *Please contact Civil Defense if you confirm that someone you know is remaining in the isolated area, call 808-935-0031. Government Beach Road, between Kahakai Boulevard and Cinder Road, is open to Waʻa Waʻa and Papaya Farms Road residents only with official credentials. There is no curfew. Stay tuned to @HawaiiNewsNow #HInews #HawaiiNews #HawaiiNewsNow #HNN

A post shared by Mileka Lincoln (@milekalincoln) on

today’s News from hawaii media outlets

Sports photographer documents subsistence fishing and family memories in Kapoho, capturing a few beautiful images of the area ten days before the lava arrived. (Images with his notes/recollections:  [1]  [2]  [3]  [4] blog here)

Mick Kalber’s 4pm Overflight Vid

Note view into Kapoho Cone and what’s left of Green Lake around 1:05. See Mick’s blog post reporting his observations (including a “gigantic perched pond”).

More Images and Videos From Social Media

From Kumsa Maphalala's Music Page :Today after evacuating another big amount of stuff from our home on papaya farms road…

Posted by Liz Gilbert on Monday, June 4, 2018

20180602 @ 17:30-18:30 HST – Kapoho and Upper Fissures . A highly productive Fissure 8 continued to feed lava into a continuous massive river descending in raised channels, ponds, and widening streams throughout Leilani Estates, Lanipuna Gardens, and Kapoho. We punctured through rainy clouds to view two circular double rainbows over Kapoho. A 0.5mi fan of a’a and pahoehoe lava continued to breech Kapoho Cone’s northwest flank forming a large waterfall of lava intruding into Green Lake. Flows continued to curve east around the cone base toward Champagne Ponds and the shorelines of Kapoho. Heading west, we approached Fissure 8 and found that smaller vents combined into one large effusion source. Many upper and lower vents continued to bellow with little to no glow beside output from Fissure 8. A quick glimpse toward PGV’s direction revealed a flowing lava channel away and northwest from the bare proximity of the plant’s boundary lines, insulated by Pu’u Honuaula. Slow movements of the flow front were observed while flying through the last glimpses of daylight over Kapoho. . This was a very monumental flight to document a piece of history. I just cannot comprehend the sheer immensity of this fissure eruption, many areas are becoming unrecognizable. Mahalo @bluehawaiianhelicopters for allowing us to record a prized possession of Hawaii Island for our community. . Aerial Team: @milekalincoln @holland_jay @heets7 . For accurate eruption updates, please visit: https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/volcanoes/kilauea/status.html . The majority of my efforts are without pay and all expenses are out of pocket. The content shared is being shared without cost to our local news networks for community awareness and support. Some footage does help to pay a very small portion of my expenses. . My respect and best wishes go out to the neighborhood of Leilani Estates, Lanipuna Gardens, and the areas within and between Kapoho. My heart especially goes out to all of my friends who have lost their homes in this fissure eruption. I am at a loss for words. _____ #leilaniestates #eruption #bigisland #helicopter #hawaii #aerial #volcano #lanipunagardens @hawaiitribuneherald @hawaiinewsnow @natgeo

A post shared by Andrew Richard Hara (@andrewrichardhara) on

#LeilaniEstatesEruption #KilaueaVolcano UPDATE (June 4 at 7:45 AM): New footage from Domonic Jones taken this morning shows the lava ocean entry at Kapoho Bay. According to USGS HVO geologists who flew over the area at 6:30 AM, lava has built a delta a few hundred yards into Kapoho Bay. They say the flow front is still about half a mile wide. Officials caution that a laze plume is blowing onshore, but dissipating quickly. Anyone in the area needs to be aware of hydrochloric acid and glass particulates from the laze at the ocean entry, which are harmful to the respiratory system and can also be an irritant to eyes and skin. USGS says they are monitoring a small lava breakout above the Kapoho cone cinder pit. Hawaiʻi County Civil Defense Agency officials confirm there is no access to the lower Puna area, Highway 132, and Highway 137 due to lava inundation. *Please contact Civil Defense if you confirm that someone you know is remaining in the isolated area, call 808-935-0031. Government Beach Road, between Kahakai Boulevard and Cinder Road, is open to Waʻa Waʻa and Papaya Farms Road residents only with official credentials. There is no curfew. Volcanic gas emissions remain high at the Kīlauea summit and in the fissure system. Residents in communities downwind should take action to limit exposure to gas and ash. Stay alert to warnings from Civil Defense officials and be prepared to evacuate with little notice. Shelters at Pāhoa Community Center and Keaʻau Armory are open and pet friendly.” Stay tuned to @HawaiiNewsNow for the very latest developments #HInews #HawaiiNews #HNN #HawaiiNewsNow #WeAreYourSource (Video: @bradah.dom)

A post shared by Mileka Lincoln (@milekalincoln) on

#LeilaniEstatesEruption #KilaueaVolcano LATEST (June 4 at 5:30 PM): According to Hawaiʻi County Civil Defense Agency officials, the fountain from fissure 8 in #LeilaniEstates is still firing upwards of 150 to 250 feet high — as it has been consistently now for more than a week. Officials say the channelized flow it is feeding is “full and moving quickly”. In fact, it has progressed downslope with such intensity and volume — Civil Defense officials say half of Kapoho Bay is already filled with lava, even though it only reached the ocean sometime around 10:30 PM Sunday night. "It's like a flood, you know. Pouring out, covering everything in its path. Just incredible what it's doing. Looks like there's no stopping it,” described Hawaiʻi County Civil Defense Agency Administrator Talmadge Magno. USGS estimates it has already covered 5,000 acres in lava and Civil Defense believes 159 homes have been claimed since the first fissure opened up on Mohala Street on May 3. Magno says he’s aware there are some folks choosing to stay in the isolated area of Kapoho and Vacationland. “We notice people in there, other helicopter trips have seen them. We see lights on a couple of the houses in there. And so, they must be off-grid. We're not gonna go in there and arrest them and drag them out. They're in there and we're flying — not all day long, but multiple trips throughout the day from first light to sunset — and so we're looking for people. If they wanna come out and they want a helicopter ride, they'll probably wave us down — but there are some sections of the subdivision where they can just walk out still yet. There's parts of, perhaps, the Kapoho Beach Lots — they can just walk along the shore and get out,” said Magno, who confirms the Mayor’s mandatory evacuation order only applies to Leilani Estates from Pōmaikaʻi Street east. Stay tuned to @HawaiiNewsNow for the very latest developments #HInews #HawaiiNews #HNN #HawaiiNewsNow #WeAreYourSource (Video: @gbradlewis)

A post shared by Mileka Lincoln (@milekalincoln) on

6/4/18 From Don Hurzeler,magnificent photographer of the Lava fall ongoing into Ka Wai A Pele "Thank you for the…

Posted by Liz Gilbert on Monday, June 4, 2018