Sunday, December 5, 2010

~ Coastal flats remain inactive ~ Rootless shields building & breaking out at 2000’ ~

The large lava tube system that carried massive amounts of molten rock from the TEB eruptive site near Pu`u O`o crater to the sea has not returned to life. Some form of eruptive action severed the plumbing on around November 28th.

The tube system, however, remains very active at around the 2000-foot elevation. I have not made it up there yet (Waiting for it to come down the mountain ;) But geologists with USGS had flown in there a few days ago. Recent reports from pilots and USGS are stating the shield area remains hot with a few localized surface lava breakouts in the past few days, but no lava pooling toward the Pulama Pali slopes at this time.

Below: The view we had in mid-June as seen from the Hawaii County viewing area parking lot of shield reflecting lava colors at dusk is nearly identical to what we see right now up toward the same shield area:
By early July that same lava began cursing down the slopes and covered some serious ground for the next four months. The current shield build up and breakouts have very similar markings.

Below:
The coastal flats lava tube showing how swelled and fractured it had become by last week. In this photo we are facing east-northeast across the lava tube, which is aimed directly at Kalapana Gardens at this juncture of the tube. The home we lost to lava one week ago today is still standing in this photo – the one directly in line with the main fissure, taken exactly 48-hours before it was leveled by the lava flowing through this tube we are perched on here.(click for larger size)

I will post updates as warranted depending on new activity.

(I will have my photo display booth set up out there today from 3:00 PM until 8:00 PM if you would like to drop by and say hi or get signed copy of my 76-minute HD lava movie ;)

Public viewing of eruptive zones:

The Hawaii County lava viewing area remains open daily from 2:00 PM until around 9:30 PM. Located off the end of Highway 130 one mile further on the one-lane road.

During the day visitors can walk the viewing road and see the still very hot, shiny and extensive lava fields, the burned out roofs of two homes sadly destroyed recently. By night, weather & eruption depending, the reflective lava high atop Pulama Pali.
Phone Janguard onsite security from 2:00 PM until 10:00 PM for further information: 430-1966 OR 217-2215.

Meanwhile, up in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, the Halema’uma’u crater continues erupting 450-feet down inside the craters floor pit vent: sulphur dioxide plume stream by day, which often glows dramatically red after dark. The park is open 24-hours a day seven days per week.

New Moon today
CURRENT MOON

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