Images

Another view of the lava lake, this one from the much lower western rim of Pu'u 'O 'o.

A zoomed-in view of the spatter vent taken from the north rim of Pu'u 'O 'o.

A new breakout started yesterday afternoon (9/30) near Kalapana. By this morning, the flow had nearly stopped, its front (shown here) barely creeping forward through grass and sparse forest.

The breakout was from the side of the lava tube feeding the Puhi-o-Kalaikini ocean entry a few hundred meters (yards) upslope from where the tube crosses Highway 130. The photo is taken from the crest of the tube, which forms a low ridge snaking through the flow field in this area.

Lava devastated more forest in the past few days as the finger of lava feeding the eastern ocean entry expanded slightly eastward. 

This photograph shows the eastern ocean entry, which covered a small beach. 

The western entry continued to add to its delta, with several small streams of lava battered by the waves. 

View looking south at the more vigorous western ocean entry. The fault scarp that prevented flows from reaching the ocean for several days crosses the photo in the foreground.

This composite image merges a thermal image and normal photograph, and shows the active flow front in Kalapana.  Breakouts (shown by white/yellow areas) were present at the base of the pali (uppermost white/yellow areas), in several spots near the County viewing area, and on the fingers of lava feeding the two ocean entries. 

View looking south toward active flows on the coastal flats near Kalapana Gardens subdivision. The new flows entered the area from right center, crossing the end of Hwy 130, and burning through forest adjacent to the coast. The burned remains of trees and brush cover the surface of the new flows at the center of the image.

View looking west at the eastern of the two new ocean entries. Lava has completely buried the beautiful pebbly beach that was in this spot. The western entry is in the background at upper left.

View looking northeast, toward Kalapana Gardens, with the eastern of the two ocean entries in the foreground.

A 1-meter-wide channel feeds a surge of lava that broke out from the inflating flow margin on the Hakuma horst, sending a fast-moving - but relatively small - flow through coconut palms towards the ocean.

View of lava cascading down the sea cliff onto the delta at the western ocean entry.

The front of this small finger of lava was almost to the sea cliff this morning, and was burning through low brush along the coastline.

The flows that reached the ocean on July 25 continued to build a small delta today.

In the past day a second finger of lava overtopped the Hakuma horst and pushed through thick vegetation towards the ocean. The flow front was less than 20 meters from the sea cliff this morning. Along the margins of this finger, lava triggered numerous small fires, sending thick smoke through the forest of hala trees and coconut palms.

The finger of lava that reached the ocean yesterday took out numerous trees on its path to the water. This coconut palm was one of many burned and fallen.

A narrow finger of lava reached the ocean just after 2 pm yesterday. By this afternoon the lava had built a small delta, barely visible through the thick steam plume. Lava also remained active on the coastal plain, close to residences in Kalapana.

More breakouts were active along Highway 137 today, with this lobe burning through a grove of ironwood trees before reaching the asphalt.

View towards the south, showing the recent lava abutting the Hakuma horst, which is directing flows towards the east. The fault scarp extends about 2 meters above the level of the lava here.