Breakout lava flow advances past stalled front
Slow-moving surface breakouts have reached the stalled flow front and extended the leading edge of the flow about 100 feet on Wednesday.
Activity in Pu?u ???? Crater has remained relatively similar over the past several weeks. Small lava ponds and incandescent holes are present in several pits on the crater floor.
A skylight provided a view of the swiftly moving lava stream in the lava tube Wednesday.
A thermal image taken Wednesday shows the distribution of active breakouts (yellow and white colors) clearly.
A small breakout flow reached and passed the stalled front of the lava in Puna.
Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists said an overflight showed the breakout lava extended the leading edge of the flow by about 100 feet on Wednesday.
A Hawaii County Civil Defense flight at about 11 a.m. Thursday showed the breakout flow advanced another 100 yards since Wednesday. Civil Defense said "scattered lava activity" was seen along the perimeter and forest area along the southeast edge of the lava was burning, creating moderate to heavy smoke in the area. But there is no brush fire threat.
Other surface flows are active upslope of the flow front, with continued scattered breakouts in the area that lava first entered the crack system about 5 miles behind the front of the flow.
The narrow breakout flow, which had been behind the stalled front, has moved about 245 feet a day since Sept. 29, scientists said.
The flow front is still about 1.4 to 1.5 miles upslope of Apaa Street on the outskirts of Pahoa.
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Hawai County Civil Defense said the lava is not an immediate threat to homes.
Scientists at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory have stopped providing estimates for when lava could reach Pahoa because the flow’s advance has slowed.
The next lava flow community update meeting will be held Thursday night at the Pahoa High School Cafeteria with representatives from Hawaii County Civil Defense and the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.
