Coastal Plain Near Kalapana

This composite image of the coastal plain near Kalapana combines a thermal image and a conventional photograph. The majority of lava is traveling through the lava tube system to the ocean and is not easily detectable in the image. Sometimes, however, the lava tubes do show a clear thermal signature. For example, several lines of high temperature delineate the lava tube just inland of the ocean entry. Active breakouts are shown by the yellow-white areas on the flow field. Today, there were two relatively small breakouts active. The large area of purple and red colors in the foreground shows the flows emplaced in July and August of this year. These recent flows are inactive but still warm.