Category: Leilani Estates Fissures

May 28: Rivers of Fire, Lava Livestream is back

Today’s Eruption Summary

About 7PM yesterday, a large pahoehoe flow suddenly burst out and went galloping through Leilani Estates. Civil Defense called for emergency evacuations. Firefighters had to guide one person to safety (with assistance of drone team tracking lava) when the flow covered his driveway. USGS and Civil Defense reported that vigorous fountains 7 and especially 8 were responsible for the outbreak: fountaining 150-200 feet high, they built up a spatter rampart 100 feet tall and fueled a monster pahoehoe 20-40 feet thick. Speed augmented by the perched lava pond breaching (dam gave way, basically).

You can get a sense of last night’s outbreak from this timelapse of the Lower East Rift Zone webcam over the past few days.

The flows from yesterday slowed and stopped this morning. Most of the day’s activity was fairly subdued, with “only a minor ooze of residual lava” making it down to the ocean. But this evening, fissure 8 and other vents went into overdrive again, pouring out rivers of lava and prompting more emergency evacuations (Civil Defense notice) (HVO/USGS Alert).

Lava livestream

Honolulu Civil Beat is back to let us watch nature’s pyrotechnics from about 2km away and a crucial 200 feet up.

It’s mesmerizing to watch, but a sobering sight as well, knowing homes downstream are burning and some people are in danger. 

I can’t watch now; I have a post to write. Where was I? Continue reading May 28: Rivers of Fire, Lava Livestream is back

May 27: Lava reaches PGV property

I see from Hawaii NWS that small summit ash explosions continue, probably dusting downwind communities. But events down at Leilani Estates have dominated the news today.

To recap: after much foot dragging and a history of safety violations, Puna Geothermal Venture has not won the confidence of many Puna residents.

But Hawaii Civil Defense also confirms the now-quenched wells are “essentially safe.” The concern is that toxic hydrogen sulfide could be released if lava breaches a geothermal well. PGV worked to secure these wells last week, but they’re flying in 200,000 pounds of clay from California today to contain explosions, so…we’ll see.

#LeilaniEstatesEruption #KilaueaVolcano UPDATE (May 27 at 10:15 AM): Hawaiʻi County Civil Defense agency officials cannot tell me what would trigger a mandatory mass evacuation of the area surrounding Puna Geothermal Venture — despite the fact lava has reached the 40 acres of their operational plant site and is approaching the well field. Civil Defense officials say no wells have been impacted and a team is working to prevent threats from developing. At this time, no hydrogen sulfide has been detected. I asked Civil Defense: “What would trigger a mass mandatory evacuation of the area?” We were sent this response: “If it becomes necessary for public safety. At that point, we will alert the public.” We followed up with these questions: “Can you explain what government officials have determined this threshold to be? It’s obviously not lava inundating PGV property, so can you clarify?” We were told there was no additional information beyond their statement. We have since reached out to the Governor’s office for assistance and have confirmed Gov. David Ige will be returning to Puna this afternoon. At last check at 7:30 AM, PGV spokesperson Mike Kaleikini said the nearest well was about 130 feet away from the lava flow front. “All of the production wells nearest to the lava flow are plugged and shut in. According to HVO scientists, movement is currently stalled. As long as conditions are safe, we will have personnel on site. Primary concern is sulfur dioxide from the eruption and lava coming on site. We monitor for hydrogen sulfide and sulfur dioxide on a continuous basis. There are no hydrogen sulfide emissions from PGV wells,” said Kaleikini. PGV officials maintain they believe they have mitigated the threat of an uncontrolled release of hydrogen sulfide if lava inundates their property and makes contact with their wells. However, PGV officials have conceded they don’t know if hydrogen sulfide is the only possible hazard the community could face if lava interacts with their wells. Stay tuned to @HawaiiNewsNow (Video: Civil Defense)

A post shared by Mileka Lincoln (@milekalincoln) on

UPDATE:  Half hour Press Conference with Gov. David Ige and Tom Travis of Hawaii Emergency Management. The gist: the wells are secure, and they’re being monitored.

Lava covered one well this evening. So far, so good:

May 25: End of the Road for Leilani Estates?

It looks like the coup de grace for Leilani Estates, or at least its eastern part.

USG Photo, May 25, noon overflight. Fissures 6 (left) and 13 (right) send lava flows south that join and flow down to ocean (white laze plume in distance). Note metal roof(?) embedded in lava at lower left. [Full-sized]
Three weeks ago Leilani’s streets were lacerated by fissures, battered by lava spattering from cracks, and blocked off by ponderous flows that seldom traveled far from their source. But that was a slow-motion disaster. Most fissures were active only a few hours. While a few unlucky residents lost homes in the first wave, most were able to return and collect vital possessions, or even risked dangerous fumes to stay.

Last week, the main lava activity shifted east, downrift, overrunning smaller Lanipuna Gardens, threatening the PGV geothermal plant, and inundating fields and woods where homes were more scattered.  “Hotter, fresher” magma arrived last Thursday with a roar, spurting in several-hundred foot fountains and flooding forests with rivers of fast-moving pahoehoe lava. On Saturday night, these channels reached the ocean.

It was only a reprieve. A few days ago, the fissures that had given Leilani grief began reactivating. The group of fountains monitored by HCB’s livestream began to subside as uprift vents pilfered their magma supply.  Leilani’s reinvigorated vents poured out so much lava they created a pond, as well as sending new flows down to the sea. And through people’s houses:

Today, more streets were buried. Firefighters went door-to-door urging the last holdouts to flee before lava reaches them. Even parts of lower Puna not yet menaced by lava were ordered to leave before their remaining escape routes are cut off. Just in case, authorities have sent in the Marines.

82 structures lost. A two mile stretch of fissures in a residential area is pouring out an astonishing 40-60 cubit feet per second. And yet only 3.4 square miles have been covered by lava in this eruption, on an island of over 4000 square miles. But that doesn’t make it any easier for those affected.

Below, a roundup of Friday’s images, videos, USGS news, and reports from local news stations.

Continue reading May 25: End of the Road for Leilani Estates?

May 7-9: Fissures Slow Down (For Now)

Fissures continued to open, but mostly emitted slow, sticky lava that didn’t travel far. Leilani residents continued to be allowed back during the daytime.

Video: lava flow eats Mustang (dead battery; owner left it to focus on rescuing other possessions), another flow pushes through metal gate.  These slow-moving, clumpy, clanking flows that pile up like a rocky bulldozer are “a’a” lava.

More fissure news/Videos from May 7 until 10:
  • May 7: USGS Status Report (12 fissures total by afternoon)
  • May 8: Mike Kalber video of Fissure 13 steaming, spattering
  • May 8-9: Good article from Hononulu Star-Advertiser (videos, detailed info on progress of eruption, evacuations)
  • May 8: Evening Civil Defense Update from Big Island Video News with lava footage. 14 fissures by day’s end.
  • May 9: Video – Mike Kalber flyover of fissure eruptions; today steaming, not much lava
  • May 9: Video clips – Steaming fissures sound like they’re breathing,  huff and puff
  • 15 fissures by end of May 9, cracks (but not lava) open W. of Highway 130, back up rift zone.
  • Fissure eruptions pause on May 10. Briefly.

May 5-6 Weekend: Fissures in Leilani

panorama of street intersection showing low wall of cooled lava and spatter in distance, cutting across roads and into trees
From USGS Website: “Panoramic view of fissure 7 from the intersection of Leilani and Makamae Streets in the Leilani Estates subdivision. This photo was taken at 06:01 a.m. HST today.”

Evacuated residents of Leilani Estates were allowed back on Sunday May 6 to collect vital documents, pets and possessions. New fissures  continued to open up and spatter, and officials warned about toxic sulfur dioxide gas (SO2) coming from fissures as well.

From USGS Photo/Video blog: “Bubble burst” from fissure 7, morning May 5.
WEEKEND LAVA VIDEOS, images, news, INFO:

Continue reading May 5-6 Weekend: Fissures in Leilani

May 4: USGS Scientist Explains First 24 Hours of Eruption

HVO Scientist-in-Charge Tina Neal gave an EXCELLENT evening briefing on the first 24 hours of the Leilani Estates Eruption, explaining very clearly what was happening and why.

[Big Island Video News, overlaid with video from Mick Kalber flyover]

Powerpoint slide summary of TALK:
  • 6 fissures in first 24 hours — more are expected
  • No lava flows extending more than tens of yards so far — flows are expected
  • Magma intrusion into LERZ [Lower East Rift Zone] is continuing
  • High levels of sulfur dioxide gas [SO2] near fissures and downwind
  • More Magnitude 5+ earthquakes possible as volcano adjusts to intrusion
Excerpts from this Briefing:

Continue reading May 4: USGS Scientist Explains First 24 Hours of Eruption

May 4: First Full Day of Eruption, 6.9 Earthquake

Friday was a busy day. Starting before sunrise, more fissures erupted (USGS night video). Here’s a USGS video of Fissure 3: first cracks, then steam, and eventually lava spatter.

At 12:33PM. a magnitude 6.9 earthquake knocked out power to some customers, agitated the summit lava lake (video clip), sent up yet more ash from Pu’u O’o (video clip), and caused minor local sea level fluctuations (Good article: Honolulu Star-Advertiser). Also see informative HVO Volcano Watch photo essay.

Below: Interview of HVO geologist Jim Kauahikaua, prior to 6.9 quake. Big Island Video News added lava footage from David Corrigan, Mick Kalber, Ikaika Marzo.

Excerpts from above interview:

Continue reading May 4: First Full Day of Eruption, 6.9 Earthquake

May 3: First Fissure Eruption Begins

After 2 days of earthquakes and cracks indicating magma was moving down the Lower East Rift Zone, the first fissure opened in Leilani Estates at about 5PM HST, Thursday, May 3, 2018.

Big Island News posted a 10PM video update with video footage accompanying a May 3 civil defense advisory:

Leilani Estates is about 11 miles downrift from Pu’u O’o, in the Puna District.

Maps, Videos (including drone video), INFO…

Continue reading May 3: First Fissure Eruption Begins