Photo and Video Chronology - Kīlauea - December 29, 2017
Episode 61g breakouts continue near the base of the pali
Geologists in the field today (December 29) found active lava breakouts roughly 330 m (0.2 mile) out from the base of Pūlama Pali, and approximately 2.9 km (1.8 miles) from the emergency road. As these pāhoehoe fingers reached the ground crack, lava began to cascade over a meter (yard) down.
(Public domain.)
Just a few minutes after the initial lava cascades began, a large section of the pāhoehoe crust broke away, exposing the molten center of the flow. The lava quickly poured from the flow as it filled the crack in the ground. This surface flow near the base of the pali is fed by the episode 61g breakouts that burned and covered most of a large kipuka over the past few weeks, with a few remnants visible on the pali in the background.
(Public domain.)
A telephoto image of the lava pouring from the center of a pāhoehoe flow. As the lava flows out from the crusted over flow, it quickly begins to form a new crust going from a bright orange color to a shiny silver as the lava starts to solidify.
(Public domain.)
Video of the pāhoehoe breakout on the coastal plain.
(Public domain.)