Surface lava breaking out again very near the end of Highway 130

Photo by Ron Boyle

Pahoehoe has re-emerged on the surface within a 100-feet of the lava-covered terminus of Highway 130 and the Hawaii County end-of-the-road viewing area; as of 11:00 PM last night. This slow moving lava breakout may reach the highway by tonight unless it stalls, as it often does. But it should provide some viewing for the visitors that do come out to see lava during the official opening hours from 2:00 Pm to 9:30 PM daily.

Unfortunately, visitors are still having to park a mile away and walk in to the end of the road. After dark, his hike does provide a view of the new lava we are also seeing high atop the Pulama Pali.

Active lava viewing prospects for the public:
1) The Halema’uma’u crater has been degassing sulfur dioxide fumes by day and glowing strongly at times after dark from lava deep within the craters pit vent. Great views are from the Jaggar Museum balcony within the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, depending on the weather; the park is open to the public 24 hours a day.

2) Coastal viewing: A walk to the very end of highway 130 to possibly see a new surface flow of lava; this is the same location where lava came onto the highway there on May 5th, 2010. The lava fuming/degassing can be seen coming down the distant pali during the day. After dark lava glow can possibly be seen high atop the mountain slopes.
Official viewing hours are from 2:00 PM until around 9:30 PM, with last car allowed in at 8:00 PM. The road is open to all traffic on all other hours.

Below are snippets of my previous recent postings:
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Molten lava breakouts continue at four locations across the coastal flats west and southwest from the lava-covered end of Highway 130. None of these are making it into the ocean but two have come close this week. Some of these breakouts are pictured in my previous post below.

Activity up on the mountain above is a different story. Not only is there more lava breaking out near the TEB eruption site 1 ½ miles east from Pu`u O`o, but all this past week the Pu`u O`o crater vent has been forming a an open pond of molten lava. The Halema’uma’u pit vent inside the crater has also been more active with its broiling lava pond.

The USGS posted an informative and detailed account on June 3rd of both of the crater’s lava ponding, as well as a pretty cool thermal video of the Halema’uma’u ponding .

Below is my previous post announcing my movie about the April May 2010 surface flow of lava and below that, my posting of coastal flats lava activity continues to reflect current conditions:
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My new feature length (84 minutes) lava flow movie is done!

All video and stills used for the movie were recorded between April 14th and May 22nd, 2010 of a surface flow of lava moving down the Pulama Pali on the south slopes of Kilauea Volcano on the Island of Hawaii, eventually entering the ocean.

In the movie we follow the leading front of molten lava as it travels through two Hawaii County viewing areas, two forests and pouring into the sea. It contains limited commentary and has original music and theme song, as well as four classic Hawaiian Pele chants.

Below is the 6 1/2 minute trailer for my movie as posted on YouTube - It is cropped for YouTube so some of the actual movie image & text will be partially cut off for this trailer: {To see this view box better I also have it placed at the bottom of this page or double-click it and watch it on YouTube}

The movie is available through me on DVD. Shot in full HD wide-screen
To order a DVD of the movie please email me at
leigh.hi1@hawaiiantel.net
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The photos below contributed by Ron Boyle were taken this week along some burned out kipuka forest.