Summit: Today’s “Type A” explosion occurred at 1:52am. It produced almost no ash this time, although there’s still light ash and SO2 coming out of the crater from time to time. The view of the continued slumping/subsidence of Halema’uma’u crater is impressive (also see Jun 9 video on Twitter):
Fissure 8’s cluster of vents is erupting up to 160ft today. With the cinder cone that’s built up around them, they’re mostly hidden. It’s entering the ocean today along a broad front. Fissure 16/18 are spattering weakly; this is the “weak activity” reported for the past few days. Apart from that, the Lower East Rift Zone is quiet, although other fissures are still releasing gasses.
Fissure 8 on #Kilauea's Lower East Rift Zone #LERZ – a nursery of volcanic bombs and spatter. Expanding volcanic gases rip the clots of lava apart as they rise through the air, forming ejecta of myriad shape and size. Photos taken on June 11. pic.twitter.com/E9iYbD9Zp8
— Simon Carn (@simoncarn) June 12, 2018
The good news is, Fissure 8’s lava flow has built up such high, broad banks that unless it overflows them, it probably won’t cover many more homes or cut off new areas. The bad news is, the lava river could still break its levees, and there’s no guarantee other fissures won’t reactivate. USGS field crews reported a “non-erupting crack” in the Lower East Rift Zone with “temperatures as high as 430°C (806°F).”
Note, however, high temps may not indicate imminent changes. USGS clarified on Facebook: “This was at Fissure 10, which has long displayed high temperatures (fortunately, no SO2 was detected). It does not mean an eruption there is imminent, but rather it is a place where various superheated gases are escaping.” Similarly, there’s been high temps at the cracks across Highway 130, which have steamed but so far not erupted at all.
Somewhat abbreviated Daily Digest today because I started late, and then took forever transcribing 11AM conference call. But the stunning pictures keep coming…
USGS Daily 1-minute video briefing
Jessica Ball (USGS) – Transcript
Glossary: “littoral explosions” from Latin Lit[t]ora, beach(es), a collective noun for seashore
USGS noted they won’t be posting an updated lava flow map for today, since it’s the same as yesterday’s. Total coverage: 9.1 square miles, 1.4 mile wide ocean entry, and the new lava delta is 250+ acres.
More USGS Images and video
Here’s another close-up view of the tortured summit:
And Fissure 8’s daily beauty shots:
I showed this photo to someone today, and she was floored by how beautiful it was. When of course, as spectacular as it is, we’ve seen even more amazing photos on less rainy/voggy days. Don’t ever start taking these views for granted, eh?
USGS caption: “Aerial views of the ocean entry on Kīlauea Volcano’s lower East Rift Zone on June 12, 2018, around 6:30 a.m. HST, show multiple small lava streams spilling into the ocean along the southern portion of the lava delta in Kapoho Bay. […] The helicopter overflight traveled from north to south along the coastline. Fissure 8 is visible in the distance near the end of the video.”
11AM USGS Media Conference Call
Once again, I took so long taking notes on today’s conference call that it’s 3AM my time. But it included a fascinating Q&A session in which Janet Babb and Brian Shiro went into some detail about what’s causing the periodic summit explosions, and about their latest thinking/models. Having more instruments than scientists in 1924, they’ve found steam explosions not sufficient to explain observed data, or at least not for current event.
June 12 Thermal Map
Interview/article with Brian Shiro (USGS)
UPDATE: Ethan Siegal, Medium magazine, “What’s Happening At Kilauea In Hawaii? 16 Questions With a Front-Line USGS Scientist” REALLY GOOD ARTICLE
Let’s Cut to the Chase
I’m gonna skip today’s social media Q&As, although USGSVolcanoes is again posting great tidbits on Twitter. Note to self: last one I posted was Kilaeua Caldera comment.
Civil Defense today was same old, same old, but Mayor Harry Kim said Leilani residents east of Pomaikai St can now call and schedule official escort to retrieve important belongings. [Clever compromise; they were having problems with people abusing the “go in and retrieve vital belongings” system to sightsee, do various non-critical activities, and/or stay overnight.]
Local News Reports
- Eruption News
HTH: “Lava field now 11 square miles”
HNN: “Ongoing eruptions have created at least 250 acres of new land on Big Island”
HSA: “Weakening trades poised to usher vog, sulfur dioxide over Hilo” - Human Impact
HNN: “‘It’s a blessing’: VA helps house veterans affected by lava”
HNN: “As eruptions continue, land swap eyed for hundreds of evacuees”
HSA: “Influx of new people has brought more crime, shelter residents say”
HSA: “FEMA getting ready to offer grants up to $34,000″
HSA: “Helicopter mission allows widow to gather belongings before losing home to lava”
HTH: “Information from island employers to help determine ways to offset losses from lava”
HCB: “Some Lava Evacuees Allowed Back Into Their Homes During ‘Stable’ Flow” - Miscellaneous
HNN: “How big does a Hawaii quake have to be to trigger a tsunami? It depends.”
Social Media – I’m calling it a vognado
… but apparently no one else is. Phooey.
Nice! It's raining over Fissure 8 in #LeilaniEstates #LeilaniEstatesEruption and the immediately evaporating water is making a mini tornado. (much like a dust devil) #Kilauea #Volcano #Pahoa #Puna #LowerPuna #Kapoho #Vacationland #Pakaka #WaaWaa #Kau pic.twitter.com/CVT55dCXpK
— Joe Bobosky (@FITorion) June 12, 2018
That's correct! We have observed many examples of these vortexes being formed by the rising heat from the lava flows, as well as pyrocumulus clouds forming over the fissure area. There is a lot of moisture already in the air in the Puna area, which helps the process along.
— USGS Volcanoes🌋 (@USGSVolcanoes) June 12, 2018
#LeilaniEstatesEruption #KilaueaVolcano UPDATE: An amazing look from above at the #Fissure8 cluster of fountains fueling the lava flow that continues to push across the #LERZ & pour into the ocean — filling what was once #KapohoBay https://t.co/b0LTkSLHDn @HawaiiNewsNow #HINews pic.twitter.com/GIoqx2vkqi
— Mileka Lincoln (@MilekaLincoln) June 12, 2018
TheWeatherBoy is here to remind us of human impact and not get too carried away by images of lava. (There’s several more I skipped of what’s essentially a Twitter news report; he was escorted in with media by National Guard today.)
Yes. #KilaueaEruption is adding land to #Hawaii Island. But it's also turning this #LeilaniEstates neighborhood into a glowing inferno. You can feel the heat rise from the channelized flow even though we are dozens of yards away from it. pic.twitter.com/CaVb18Uniu
— the Weatherboy (@theWeatherboy) June 13, 2018
Surreal sadness in #LeilaniEstates: Fissure #8 belches toxic fumes and lava in the background while an empty community park in an evacuation zone sits still in the foreground. #KilaueaVolcano pic.twitter.com/nXCTyOzVdZ
— the Weatherboy (@theWeatherboy) June 13, 2018
Very loud in this once quaint community of #LeilaniEstates. Jet engine-like roar coming from the fissure while military helicopters hover overhead. #KilaueaEruption has turned this subdued street into a warzone. pic.twitter.com/w5vXe8nsCJ
— the Weatherboy (@theWeatherboy) June 13, 2018
The brave members of Hawaii's police force continue to patrol the closed streets of #LeilaniEstates. The few stragglers we spotted were all stopped and questioned by the nearly always present force. #KilaueaEruption pic.twitter.com/Ino4zKx1qj
— the Weatherboy (@theWeatherboy) June 13, 2018
The air here in #LeilaniEstates is foul & bitter. Smells like rotten eggs & wet campfire wood. Lots of Pele's hair in the air; in the right light you can see thousands of fine strands of glass dance around in the nearly still air. #KilaueaEruption pic.twitter.com/tTUl4fjTjy
— the Weatherboy (@theWeatherboy) June 13, 2018
The roof of this home isn't black; it's covered by a thick layer of cinders. 7 weeks ago, this was prime property in the middle of #LeilaniEstates, surrounded by colorful & fragrant folliage. Now it is in the middle of hell, w/toxic gasses from #KilaueaEruption everywhere. pic.twitter.com/Ui3hAhMPYN
— the Weatherboy (@theWeatherboy) June 13, 2018
Tuesday, June 12, 2018, 5:45 am – Kilauea's east rift zone overflight: Between the steam, multiple fingers of lava pour into the sea. @extremeexposure #kilauea #kilaueaeruption #kilaueavolcano #hawaii #puna #prayforpuna #leilaniestates #fissure8 pic.twitter.com/IHZ0PmULhM
— IG: @MalikaDudley (@MalikaDudley) June 13, 2018
How does magma move through the ground? As sills and dykes, moving through weaknesses in the rock and wedging its way towards the surface. When the rock breaks as magma pushes through, this causes earthquakes/seismicity. https://t.co/shssKbAJBo
— Dr Janine Krippner (@janinekrippner) June 12, 2018
A beautiful visible layer of volcanic ash was found in the #eastgrip #icecore today! Could be the Saksurnarvatn tephra at the end of the last glacial. https://t.co/mmjok2SKk6 pic.twitter.com/T5TgNk4fD7
— Kerim Nisancioglu (@nissenjo) June 12, 2018
#fissure8 today at around 12:30pm – three closely spaced fountains feeding a channelized flow to the ocean at #Kapoho – #puna #kilauea #kilaueaeruption PC: Dustin Adcal @BigIslandNow pic.twitter.com/a3hAnsJSse
— IG: @MalikaDudley (@MalikaDudley) June 12, 2018
And a gallery of still photos from this overflight. (First one):
Over the last 5 weeks, I’ve been humbled to help out at #PuuhonuaOPuna:the community-run donation drop-off, supply distribution & information hub to assist evacuees displaced by the #KilaueaVolcano #LeilaniEstatesEruption 👉🏽 https://t.co/weeZnmrZMf @HawaiiNewsNow #BroadcastGood pic.twitter.com/IWpPgx9ilC
— Mileka Lincoln (@MilekaLincoln) June 13, 2018