Lava flowing down Pali onto coastal flats and fast approaching viewing area

New video of the molten lava flowing down the Pulama Pali:


Deflation came and went in the past 48 hours. This likely caused a temporary lessening of lava flowing down the slopes as best seen after nightfall a day ago, but visitors to the County Viewing Area are continuing to enjoy the distant lava glows. We are hoping it will pass close enough to the viewing area to allow for some good views of an active flow. In fact it appears this flow may overtake the viewing area and the management there have relocated their base further back up the road! Presently lava is now advancing into some vegetation near the viewing area. If you are on the mainland and want to possibly see molten lava close up, this week may be your opportunity. I will try to get an onsite look at this tonight.

USGS Hawaiian Volcanoes Observatory has posted some excellent overviews of the activity on their images webpage(Click on the image for a larger size)

Big Island Video News . com has posted a nice write up on the lava viewing, accompanied with some great video by David Corrigan, who I had the pleasure to meet out there a few nights ago after he shot his video for the linked piece above.

Lava Viewing Summary:
The most visual displays of active lava continue to be safely witnessed from the two designated public viewing areas:
1) The balcony outside the Jaggar Museum during the day and after dark. The Jaggar is located a few miles past the entrance gates of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and is open to the public 24 hour a day, seven days a week.

2) The newly advancing surface flow can be watched from the Hawaii County Civil Defense public viewing area parking & trailhead, and also from the designated viewing area at the end of a 2200-foot walk across cooled pahoehoe lava. (Some sections of that lava walk are still warm from the October 23-26th. 2009 surface flow!). This surface flow is best seen after dark. Bring good footwear, some water and a flashlight if you plan to take the trail hike out to the county viewing area and stay after sunset. If you have binoculars bring those along. The viewing area is open to the public between the hours of 2:00 PM and 10:00 PM; last car allowed in is 8:00 PM – seven days per week.

A typical nighttime view will look like the picture I posted on my previous blog report here, or as seen in David’s video linked above.