Images

This map uses a satellite image acquired in March 2014 (provided by Digital Globe) as a base to show the area around the front of Kīlauea's active East Rift Zone lava flow. The area of the flow early yesterday morning (December 15) is shown in pink, while advancement of the flow as mapped on December 16 at 11:15 AM is shown in red.

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The active flow front continues to advance to the northeast, in the general direction of Pāhoa Marketplace. This morning, the leading tip of the active flow was 1.5 km (0.9 miles) from Pāhoa Marketplace, as measured along the path of steepest descent.

This photograph looks downslope towards Pāhoa, and shows the active flow front moving through dense vegetation upslope of Pāhoa Marketplace and Highway 130.

A comparison of a normal photograph and a thermal image of the leading edge of the active flow. Plumes of smoke upslope of the front mark the locations of scattered breakouts. The thermal image shows that active lava is focused along the leading margin of the flow.

In addition to the active flow front, scattered breakouts were present about 2 km (1.2 miles) upslope, and consisted of several fingers branching a short distance off from the main body of the flow.

The leading tip of the flow has widened over the past day. Yesterday, the leading tip of the flow was roughly 80 meters (87 yards) wide, but today the leading tip was roughly 200 meters (220 yards) wide.

A vertical view into one of the skylights on the lava tube upslope. A swiftly moving stream inside the lava tube confirmed that lava continues to be supplied downslope this morning.

HVO geologists walk over the lava tube on the northern flank of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō while conducting a very low frequency (VLF) survey. Measurements are taken along a line of points (at flagged rocks) crossing perpendicular to the tube.

This map uses a satellite image acquired in March 2014 (provided by Digital Globe) as a base to show the area around the front of Kīlauea's active East Rift Zone lava flow. The area of the flow on December 12, 2014, at 10:00 AM is shown in pink, while advancement of the flow as mapped from satellite imagery collected early this morning is shown in red.

This map uses a satellite image acquired in March 2014 (provided by Digital Globe) as a base to show the area around the front of Kīlauea's active East Rift Zone lava flow. The area of the flow on December 9, 2014, at 2:30 PM is shown in pink, while advancement of the flow as mapped on the ground on December 12 at 10:00 AM is shown in red.

Aerial view of lava inundating Kalapana in May 1990. The Hakuma Horst, a 20-m (66-ft) high north-facing fault scarp near the ocean, diverted the lava flows into the most populated areas of Kalapana. By the end of 1990, the flows were as high as the last remaining homes on the horst.

The active flow front continues to advance downslope towards the northeast. This morning, the leading tip of the active lava was 2.6 km (1.6 miles) upslope from Pāhoa Marketplace, as measured along the steepest descent line.

An HVO geologist uses a handheld GPS unit to mark the flow margin coordinates. The flow field map today was updated by taking a series of GPS points like this around the leading portion of the flow.

This small-scale map shows Kīlauea's active East Rift Zone lava flow in relation to lower Puna. The area of the flow on December 1, 2014, at 11:30 AM is shown in pink, while widening and advancement of the flow as mapped on December 9 at 2:30 PM is shown in red.

This large-scale map shows the distal part of Kīlauea's active East Rift Zone lava flow in relation to nearby Puna communities. The area of the flow on December 1, 2014, at 11:30 AM is shown in pink, while widening and advancement of the flow as mapped on December 9 at 2:30 PM is shown in red.

This map uses a satellite image acquired in March 2014 (provided by Digital Globe) as a base to show the area around the front of Kīlauea's active East Rift Zone lava flow. The area of the flow on December 1, 2014, at 11:30 AM is shown in pink, while widening and advancement of the flow as mapped on December 9 at 2:30 PM is shown in red.

The leading tip of the active portion of the June 27th lava flow continues to advance downslope, and is 3.4 km (2.1 km) from the intersection of Highway 130 and Pāhoa Village Road (as measured along a straight line). The front has advanced 300 meters (0.2 miles) since Sunday, December 7, and 1.4 km (0.9 miles) since our last overflight on December 1.

A comparison of a normal photograph with a thermal image of the leading tip of the active lobe on the June 27th lava flow. Corresponding points are marked with letters for reference. Active surface flows were present at the front of the lobe, and there were numerous small breakouts scattered in the immediate area upslope of the front.

A vigorous channelized breakout on the flow, a short distance upslope of the leading tip of activity.

A breakout was also present in the upslope portion of the June 27th lava flow, closer to Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō. The breakout point was about 800 meters (0.5 miles) north of Pu‘u Kahauale‘a, which is close to Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō. The breakout began on December 5 from the existing lava tube, and this photo shows the breakout point clearly.