Volcano Acting Up #5: Pulsing Incandescence

[Greg]

Wow, this is exciting! At 4:00 am we noticed the flow had suddenly shown up downhill on the flats. It must have taken the "lava tube express". Going down to check it out we saw it had broken out in a surface flow just a couple of hundred meters mauka of the ocean entry site. A couple of hours later the plume was back and the ocean entry going again.

The HVO geologist doing an on site survey reported another surface flow on the eastern side of the zone at the base of the pali, moving through some vegetation. I think this one bears watching as it is closer to new structures in the area. I am "scratching my head" in awe and wonder.

Tonite (with the Perseid meteor showers) would be an excelent time to visit.

[Kelena]

Way to go Pele! Let's start munching some vegetation! Eat your greens....or, I should say, sear your greens for several hours at 2000 degrees farenheit. Then munch. Ah, Pele.....I wish I'd never seen your face.

[dakine]

Quicktime Movie --> http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/kilauea/update/ar...pt2008.mov

QT Movie Caption --> "This Quicktime movie shows a roiling, bubbling lava surface approximately 100 yards beneath the rim of the vent within Halema`uma`u. This is the first clear view of lava within the vent, which opened on March 19, 2008. The video was taken from a helicopter hovering over the Halema`uma`u overlook area. The overhanging rim at the right side of the frame is the floor of Halema`uma`u crater."

Caption and link to Quicktime movie taken from http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/kilauea/update/images.html

[Kelena]

Hmmmmm......the Halema'uma'u vent has doubled in size since March 19th. The opening is now approximately 215 feet across. Lava inside...meanwhile, on the coastal plain a mysterious thermal anomaly, and a stop and start flow to the ocean. And still she steams.