For months now, Madam Pele has making what the geologists call rootless shields. Not anymore. A flow has come down through Royal Gardens subdivision and headed east and then to the ocean. So now the residents and visitors get to hike in from Kalapana side to watch the flow and the ocean collide. The large steam plume once again rises up with it toxic mix of acids ready to rot out your lungs if you are stupid enough to breathe it in. The trek in from Kalapana allows for upwind viewing. Of course, the County of Hawaii is now trying to set up a safe way for everyone to get a good view of this phase of the eruption.
March 7, 2008
November 17, 2007
Lava flows use tubes to head south-east towards Kalapana
The current eruption of Kilauea along the rift zone is now sending lava flows east and southeast. The eruption over the last few months has been mainly A’a lava flows. The recent development of the the lava tubes allows for the quicker expansion of the pahoehoe flows further away from the source. The flows are heading to lower elevations in the direction south-east and towards Kalapana. Much of Kalapana town and its famous Kaimu black sands beach were covered by lava flows in the late eighties. Another round of flows may reach down to the ocean again if the tubes don’t get blocked.
July 31, 2007
Lava flow heads northeast – then where?
The fissure eruption to the east of Pu’u O’o crater on the south-east rift zone of Kilauea is pumping out an a’a lava flow heading to the northeast. It will be worth watching this flow to see if it continues in that direction or swings more east then south-east and downslope to the ocean. The formerly tormented area of Kalapana may see flows if the eruption pushes its activities eastward. This activity is outside of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, so the state and county of Hawaii have to control access to this remote area for safety reasons. The lower Puna area east of Kalapana hasn’t seen a lava flow since the Kapoho eruptions of 1960. Many new residents of the lower Puna District probably have little idea how destructive Madam Pele can be at times. Perhaps another painful lesson in planning for natural hazards is forthcoming.
