Tag: fissures

May 26: Lava Turns Towards PGV

Puna residents watch with a sinking feeling of “I told you so” as a ponderous a’a flow crossed Pahoa Pohoiki Road slightly north of the geothermal plant, inching towards it. Officials think they’ve got the wells quenched  (I notice they quietly dropped the idea of plugging them), and that they’re safe.

Hawaii County photo looking south across Pohoiki Road, geothermal plant bottom left. Photo not timestamped but probably around noon. “Fissures 7 and 21 are feeding an ‘a’ā flow that has advanced to the northeast and this afternoon crossed Pahoa Pohoiki Road onto PGV property, USGS reported.”

Meanwhile, Fissure 7 is causing trouble in all directions; its lava pond has sent another flow “cascading into Pawaii crater” (6:15pm).  Looking at the map, I’m betting that crater is an old vent from a previous fissure eruption just like this one. In addition to fluid/runny pahoehoe flows, some of the longer flows are a’a.

The summit has also been busy today, with three ash explosions reaching the ~10,000 foot height between midnight and dawn, and some reaching “as high as 12-13K‘ [above sea level]” this morning. Reminder: Kilauea is 4009 feet above sea level (asl).

Moving on. I’ve gotten in the habit of checking the Lower East Rift Zone webcam last thing before I post:

USGS webcam of LERZ. Grabbed just before midnight, May 26. Is that a lava flow coming towards the camera?

Next image on the LERZ webcam.

I do believe it is. Has that lava pond broken loose?

Lava tally as of Saturday morning: 41 houses, 82 structures total. A further 37 homes isolated by lava crossing roads. Lava has covered 3.7 square miles/2372 acres so far.

Here’s the usual roundup of the day’s eruption news, astonishing views, and geeky info by geologists:

Continue reading May 26: Lava Turns Towards PGV

May 23: USGS Presentation on Puna Lava Eruption So Far

Tuesday evening, USGS Volcanologist Steve Brantley gave a  presentation in Pahoa High School. A lot of it is fairly simple, recapping the eruption for residents of Puna. I’ve covered most of what he does in previous posts. But there are a few new tidbits.

His takeaway is worth seeing if you don’t read/watch the rest:

…until that balance is reached, or something else changes, we expect magma to continue moving from the summit reservoir into the rift zone and further down into the Lower East Rift Zone. So that suggests that we’re in it for the long haul. We don’t know how long this eruption’s going to last, but for now, it looks like it’s just going to continue.

Full transcript below the cut.

Continue reading May 23: USGS Presentation on Puna Lava Eruption So Far

May 23 – Beware of Falling Rock

I’m still wondering, and there’s absolutely no way to know: will this follow the pattern of the 1955 Kapoho eruption in whose footsteps it’s following? (Same general area, and in fact for the first two weeks that slow-moving lava coming out was mostly 1955’s leftovers.)

“The [Kapoho] eruption lasted for 88 days and opened at least 24 separate vents that stretched nine miles from Kapoho to west of the Pāhoa-Kalapana road. Numerous lava flows cut all access to lower Puna covering over six miles of public roads. The eruption required the evacuation of most coastline residents from Kapoho to Kalapana for an extended period.”—USGS

A few months is a major disruption to daily life, but that’s really not too long before residents can start picking up the pieces.

Here’s the thing. This lava came down the East Rift Zone after the bottom of Pu’u O’o Crater collapsed and all its lava drained away. And that unusually long-lasting eruption had been going since 1983. If this is the same magma from the same source, just emerging from a different location, it could go for years.

P.S.. from the HVO website: “Kilauea – 2018-05-23 04:37:34
Another small summit explosion at 10:18 UTC / 00:18 HST 23 May.” Every night, another poof or two. I feel for the people downwind; while ash isn’t as destructive as lava, it’s still disruptive, bad for plants and machinery, and especially hard on people with respiratory issues.

May 22: Late Night News Roundup – More PGV Worries

 

First of all, Honolulu Civil Beat posted a video of Fissure 22 while his livestream cam  showcases the Fissure 20 complex.

Not that it really matters which is which, but I like to know what I’m looking at. 22 is sending lava down to the ocean (and the geothermal plant.)

May 22 East Rift Zone Fissure Map by USGS

I think the livestream house is on that raised bump to the right of “PGV,” with the camera pointed SE. I guess this map was devised when 20 was having a low spell earlier today.

Mick Kalber’s usual stunning flyover vid including rivers of lava and lava flows meeting the sea:

Okay, now that we know where we are, what’s happening? Good images, clips and news tidbits after the cut. The main story today was concerns about lava encroaching on the PGV geothermal plant, and the hazards it poses. But first…

Continue reading May 22: Late Night News Roundup – More PGV Worries

May 22: Reactivated Fissures Near Geothermal Plant

News media have finally gotten wind of Civil Beat’s livestream. Some have gotten the homeowner’s permission to film broadcasts on the same porch, so you may hear them if you tune in. At other times, the homeowners or friends they’ve let use the house stop by. It’s surreal yet oddly comforting to hear the homey noises of people, a pet parkeet (?), and wild chickens outside while towering, terrifying yet magnificent lava fountains boom and chuff.

As for the big picture, we’re starting to settle into a routine with Kilauea’s ongoing double eruption:

(1) Lava in Lower East Rift Zone

  • Lava fountains/flows in the Lower East Rift Zone continue vigorously, claiming more land and displacing more residents in Lower Puna.
  • Some fissures stop, but others reactivate. See HVO maps for what’s active.
  • Coast guard, police are trying to keep spectators away from lava entry into ocean; toxic “laze” plume from lava/seawater interaction is dangerous.
  • Puna residents are concerned about lava now encroaching on Puna Geothermal Venture site, because PVG’s lack of transparency and tardiness in capping wells has not been reassuring. (see HNN reporter Mileka Lincoln’s brief, damming synopsis). Lava-breached wells might emit toxic hydrogen sulfide.
  • Leilani Estates, where fissures started, doesn’t have much erupting now but cracks in some roads are now chasms (photo).
  • Lava is now faster, hotter, more voluminous due to clearing out old lava from 1955 that was pooled under rift zone; now it’s fresh lava from drained Pu’u O’o.

(2) Kilauea Summit Ash Explosions

  • Minor ash explosions continue intermittently at Kilauea’s summit crater, Halemau’ma’u. Between explosions, white plume of steam seen on webcams.
  • This morning, another ash explosion, 10,000 foot cloud, 3:30 AM. Here’s this morning’s Civil Defense ashfall warning with advisory for Kau.
  • See NWSHonolulu on Twitter for ashfall advisories.
  • We don’t know if crater has ejected more “ballistics” (flying rocks) since USGS scientists aren’t risking personnel by entering the possible “flying rocks” zone. Right now they’re working from a temporary base of operations in Hilo.
  • Hawaii Volcanoes National Park remains closed, not only to keep public out of range of flying rocks, but because of earthquake damage to trails and some park structures. These need to be assessed/repaired.
  • Park Rangers have set up in Hilo Bayfront to educate public about this historic eruption.

Oh look, another hazard from lava entering ocean: WATERSPOUTS.

And even when fissures don’t spout lava, they can still be dangerous:

 

May 21: Daily Roundup, Fire & Water Edition

Mick Kalber’s daily helicopter flyover includes some intense views of the rivers of lava heading into the ocean, and the big complex of fountains— 20? 22? we’re starting to lose track— that have dominated the Lava Livestream With Rooster for the last several days.

May 21 Fissure Map (USGS Maps page)

The USGS thermal scan is very informative, too: an infrared satellite detects heat sources (the whiter the image, the hotter it is), and USGS then overlays it on a daylight satellite image of same area. Result, accurate map of where the main flows are, even when they crust over so the lava inside is hidden:

May 21 Heat map of today’s flows (USGS Maps page)

Below the cut: a digest of the day’s eruption news, USGS updates (summarized), and striking social media images and video clips like this:

Continue reading May 21: Daily Roundup, Fire & Water Edition

May 20: Lava Reaches The Ocean

There’s two lava livestreams on Youtube this morning, same location, Honolulu CivilBeat mostly focusing on Fissure 20,  ~1000 yards away. WXchasing moving camera more often [ETA: WX stream now archived]. HCB said Fissure 17 (3/5 a mile away) has built up a cinder cone 300 feet tall.

Last night, Fissure 20’s lava flow crossed Highway 137 and reached the ocean at 11PM, leaving some Puna residents with one escape route. Filed under “things I didn’t know,” Civil Defense warns of “Laze,” a spray of hot steam, hydrochloric acid, and “fine glass particles” when lava hits seawater.

Also filed under “things I didn’t know”: “Methane gas, produced as lava buries vegetation, can migrate in subsurface voids and explode when heated.” (USGS)

May 19: Lava, Lava Everywhere

This… is just incredible.

The first two weeks of sputtering fissures, slow-moving flows were prelude. Thursday night, the rivers and fountains of runny pahoehoe lava arrived. Today, Saturday afternoon, the overflight videos are historic.

From USGS (loud helicopter):

Fissures 16-20 joined up this Saturday and are marching towards the ocean, expected to cross Highway 137 tonight. Civil defense warns to keep away from ocean entry, if/when the lava reaches the shore, to avoid “laze.”

From Mick Kalber:

I have no words.

Well, okay, I do. I hope everyone down there is safely away. It’s been a hard day for a bunch of people who can’t go home now.

May 19: Rivers of Lava, Fissure 20 Races for Ocean

HNN posted a brief video recap of some of the incredible lava river/fountains last night, identifying it as Lanipuna Gardens (I wasn’t sure.)

Today, Honolulu Civil Beat just left the camera on, and the lava just keeps coming.

Yep, Rusty the Rooster is still trying to tell us it’s morning.

However, despite using a still from dawn Friday morning showing Fissure 17 at its most glorious, its cinder cone is now much higher than it is.

Late Saturday, HCB Livestream screencap. Fissure 17 dwarfed by its cinder cone now.

Friday night it was incredibly spectacular, but by Saturday the group of combined fountains at Fissure 20 had taken the spotlight, sending vast amounts of Pahoehoe down to the ocean. That said, 17 continued be loud; it’s the one that sounds like a thundering detonation or jet engine in short, loud bursts.