Attention shifted back to the summit on May 9, when a 3.1 earthquake set off a rockfall that agitated the lava lake and sent up a 6000-foot poof of ash (video clip National Parks site):
Rockfalls caused poofs of ash like this even back when the lava lake was full, but that was more than usual. (See also USGS video from May 7, when lava lake was still visible, showing how falling rocks agitate it).
However, that was just a teaser. The big news was the dropping lava lake…
Doooowwwwnnn she goes!
Watch this thermal webcam video showing how the summit lava lake at #Kilauea #volcano dropped way down during the eruption over the past few days. From @USGSVolcanoes webcams via @volcanodiscover pic.twitter.com/zbh4eMwxZk— Oliver Lamb (@olamb245) May 8, 2018
…prompted HVO to issue its first warning about steam explosions if the lava dropped below the water table.
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park closed Friday May 11 as a precaution, since the lava lake was projected to reach the water table sometime that day. For the next few days it continued to send up a white plume of steam and/or ash clouds when rocks from the sides of the chimney fell in:
On steam (phreatic) explosions:
Continue reading May 9-10: USGS Warns of Possible Steam Explosions
