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Aerial view showing two of three vent areas active on March 20, during a deflation-inflation-deflation event. Smallest vent is at south base of Pu`u `O`o (center) and is marked by wisp of fume (see right image). Largest vent is broad area 250 m south of Pu`u `O`o; it erupted the shiny, light gray Kuhio flow.
View upslope showing blue fume that marks trace of Kuhio flow. Fume comes mainly from skylights and thin places in roof of Kuhio lava tube. Pu`u `O`o in distance.
Aerial view of terminus of Kuhio flow (narrow flow coming downslope and fingering out near lower right. Pahoehoe of Kuhio is easily confused with broader expanse of pahoehoe that issued from rootless shield just left of image.
Sampling lava from nearly full tube. Generally sampling device tethered to cable is thrown into tube to retrieve lava, but here the level of lava was so near the surface that only a modified hoe was needed.
Map shows lava flows erupted during 1983-present activity of Pu`u `O`o and Kupaianaha. Yellow lava flows began erupting from new vent (green star) at base of Pu`u `O`o on January 18, 2004; it is named the MLK flow.Shades of red denote Mother's Day flow, which began erupting on May 12, 2002 and continues to the present. Darkest shade indicates lava flows erupted in November 2003-January 2004. Yellow stars indicate centers of recently active, or still active, rootless shields in Mother's Day flow. New shields often form, so it is hard to show all shields on this map.Through September and into early October 2003, lava was moving along the east and west sides of the Mother's Day flow. The east-side lava (known as the August 9 breakout) came from the August 9 rootless shield, itself fed by the main Mother's Day tube from Pu`u `O`o. The west side lava, known as the Kohola arm of the Mother's Day flow, branched off the tube system below the rootless shield.In early October 2003, the August 9 breakout stopped moving, the Kohola died back to a trickle, and the one labeled rootless shield gained prominence. By October 16, however, the shield had partly collapsed, leaving several drained perched ponds behind. Upstream from the shield, many hornitos and small flows formed over the Mother's Day tube. Soon thereafter, other rootless shields began to form over the Mother's Day, August 9, and Kohola tubes. These shields have been active throughout November and December.Vents in West Gap Pit became active in early October, were quiet for 3 weeks, and then resumed intermittent activity that continued well into December. Other vents were also sporadically active in Puka Nui (near West Gap Pit) and in the crater of Pu`u `O`o.
Map shows vents, lava flows, and other features near Pu`u `O`o frequently referred to in updates. These features change often, but this map should help those viewers lost in the terminology. The cones in West Gap are just outside the boundary of the crater--the oval shaped depression containing the seven numbered vents. Red color denotes flows--the Mother's Day flows--erupted since May 12, 2002. Orange color indicates episode-55 flows erupted between March 1997 and August 2002 (exclusive of Mother's Day flows). Gray shows flows of earlier episodes.
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