~ Surface flows have stalled ~ Ocean entry subdued ~

Above: Ocean entry at 6:15 this morning

The advancement of surface lava close to the Hawaii County viewing area at the west end of Kalapana Gardens access road off highway 130 has stalled. I spotted one small breakout but otherwise lava there is hot and glows red between the cracks and stagnating.

Below: In this photo we are looking northeast toward the property and home that was most imminently threatened by the recent surface flow. The lava in the foreground was flowing 48 hours ago and is still quite hot. Remarkably, the flowing lava stopped exactly at the westerly property line (cleared area with rough rock and little noni trees), oozed along it, then turned up along the very edge of the southerly property line for a ways and stalled.

Lava that was breaking out west of there, near the main lava tube supplying the ocean entry, has also stalled. I did, however, see two bright lava glow spots high atop, or above, the Pulama Pali. These were each quite separated from each other; one appeared to be a large skylight beam-like glow.

Below: The coastal flats devastation lavascape looking northwest towards the degassing fumes on the Pulama Pali and the Pu`u O`o venting beyond.
All photos taken early this morning; click on them for a larger view size.

Below: The central section of the coastal flats just west of Kalapana Gardens subdivision, showing the ocean entry plume beyond.

The ocean entry lava flow has been pulsing a lot lately; going from robust to subdued day and night. This morning it slowed down so much I thought it was going to cease altogether, only to return somewhat. Yesterday morning (photo above), the hot and fuming new lava delta had many surface flows breaking out all over and also the west end of the bench had lava advancing; today there were no breakouts there at all; just degassing fumes.

USGS/HVO issued new lava flow update maps on September 27th. Their maps below will have all the caption information on the linked site above. The closer map below accurately shows where the recent breakout lava near the county view area is – shown in bright red.