~ Surface flows continue expanding on plains ~

very hot lava fields near a home and the latest location for the county viewing area.
Molten lava destroyed barricades over the weekend-- the relocated site is now 200 feet further east up the road as shown here. The barricades were lifted up by the lava and are still perched on top- they were originally about five feet below this!(Click on any images here for a larger size)


Molten lava continues to breakout in many areas of the coastal plains, some of which is very close to Kalapana Gardens homes. One home in particular has lost a couple-hundred more feet of her lower orchard to the lava just in the past 48-hours, as shown in these photos from this morning. Lava advancement here has halted for now… This is the third time in less than two months this home has had lava in the backyard…coconut trees still smolder along the property border of this lot.

These various surface lava breakouts all stem from the established lava-tube system that is feeing the ocean entry and originates many miles above, near the Pu`u crater TEB eruption site. These latest breakouts cover a much wider range than the others we have seen over the past few months; several are a mile apart from each other.

The lava that covered more of the terminus of highway 130/Kalapana Gardens access road is stagnating but appeared to still be inflating, or rising higher, a little this morning, and was molten only 12 to 18-inchs below what you see in these photos. You can see a little bit of red glow in some of the images.

The public lava-viewing site was relocated after the previous one, shown above and below here, was overtaken by the lava flow early Sunday morning. Apparently there was a miscommunication regarding the removal of the barricades ahead of the advancing lava…

As of 8:30 this morning: the ocean entry continues, some lava is breaking out south and west of the viewing site. A few remnant bushes were burning; most of those same things will likely be visible tonight at the county viewing area.

Hawaii County lava viewing information:

Public lava viewing is from the access road off the very end of Highway 130. There is a parking area, port-o-potties and security personnel on site between 2:00 PM and 10:00 PM daily. Last car allowed in at 8:00 PM, but you can stay in the area until about 9:30 PM.
A half-mile walk down the road (it’s getting shorter each month!) from the parking takes you near to where recent lava covered it, as well as affording vista views of the lines of degassing fumes wafting from the underground lava tubes that presently carry tremendous amounts of liquid rock for miles down slope to the sea. And from the road you can see where the lava vigorously pours into the ocean and huge plumes of steam rise up. After dark the base of this steam will glow red and orange colors from reflective molten lava. Periodically, as we are having right now, there have been sizable surface flows of lava breaking out well within view of the access road; these breaks often only last a day or two; conditions for that change weekly.

You can get on-site information updates for the public access road by phoning management personnel stationed there after 2:00 PM:
430-1966 or 217-2215. The main Civil Defense lava viewing hotline is 961-8093.
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