Monday, December 28, 2009

Bright surface flow ~ Lava entry lava ~ Strong magma pressures

(Surface lava reflects off low clouds - click on any image for a larger size)

To the delight of over 1200 visitors to the active coastal lava zone last night, not only was there a strong ocean entry lava plume like yesterday with some explosive moments, they also witnessed this long line of molten surface lava glowing bright orange & red after dark as shown in these images I took last night. A closer look below:

This surface lava is only a mile and a half away from the Hawaii County viewing area trailhead at the end of highway 130. Perhaps we will get another dramatically close look at the flowing lava like we did two-months earlier.

Hawaii National Park field ranger Ron Boyle documented this dramatic and very hot ocean entry lava on the less explosive side of Waikupanaha yesterday morning.

The inflation of magma pressures beneath Kilauea Volcano continue strong but have leveled off, as the deformation graph below reveals. A strong pressure like this may contribute to this new activity on the surface and ocean entry.

Current sulfur dioxide conditions within Hawaii Volcanoes National Park are showing the toxic fumes being blown by onshore winds inland. This will send the volcanic Vog haze across the Big Island and maybe on down the island chain.

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