Flow persists from Kilauea

As the 30th anniversary of its current eruption nears, Kilauea Volcano continues to generate lava flows on the coastal plain that are sporadically entering the ocean at several spots.

Webcams show weak steam plumes from the ocean entries, scientists at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said Tuesday.

The flow is about a half-mile wide and extends from about the midpoint of the coastal plain to the eastern boundary of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

The eruption of Kilauea’s middle east rift zone started on Jan. 3, 1983, and continued with few interruptions at Puu Oo cone, or temporarily from vents within a mile or so to the east or west. A fissure eruption on the upper east flank of Puu Oo on Sept. 21, 2011, drained the lava lakes and fed a flow that advanced through the abandoned Royal Gardens subdivision to the ocean in early December 2011.

Since late December 2011, the flows have remained intermittently active on the pali and the coastal plain and finally re-entered the ocean on Nov. 24.

Pahoa pool will close for work

The Pahoa Aquatic Center will close Monday for a six-month, $1.55 million renovation project.

The Hawaii Tribune-Herald reports that the work will include an expansion to the building, reconfiguring the pumps, circulation piping and filtration system, plugging leaks and installing solar panels on the roof.

Isemoto Contracting Co. won the contract Dec. 21.

The work will also bring the pool into compliance with a 2007 federal law mandating the replacement of swimming pool drain covers after a girl became trapped and drowned. Similar repairs have already been completed at the county’s other swimming facilities.