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Photo and Video Chronology - Kīlauea - December 30, 2014

December 30, 2014

No change in activity at Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō

A clear view today of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō's summit revealed no significant change during the past week. The cross-sectional area of the active lava stream in the tube on the flank of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō was the same as measured on December 22, suggesting no change in lava discharge from the vent. The central crater at Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō formed over several days following the opening of eruptive fissures on June 27; the view is looking toward the west. The distance from the high point on the northwest rim to the south rim (cliff in top middle to lower left in this photo) is about 300 m (~980 ft).
Close view of incandescence in spatter cone within a pit at the northeast edge of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō's crater (the smaller pit visible to the right side in the adjacent photograph). Note small flows that cover the floor of this small crater.
Kīlauea's East Rift Zone lava flow remains active upslope from the Pahoa Marketplace area, visible at lower right. The leading edge stalled on December 22, but breakouts just upslope widened the flow field and then overtook the flow front during the past few days. The new leading edge advanced the flow front about 150 m (165 yd) since December 27. The flow crossed the firebreak road on December 28. The new tip is 530 m (580 yd) upslope of the Pahoa Marketplace, and was itself stalled at the time the photo was taken. The view is to the southwest.
The leading part of the flow consisted of several small, active lobes this afternoon. The front of the lobe that crossed the firebreak was stalled, though breakouts were active about 50 m (55 yd) upslope. Another lobe (area of most visible smoke in center) was about 300 m (330 yd) upslope of the tip and 150 m (165 yd) upslope of the firebreak. A third lobe was 350 m (385 yd) upslope of the firebreak. The view is to the northeast.
This compares a normal photograph of the active flow front with a thermal image. The photograph has been cropped and rotated to approximate the perspective of the thermal image. The thermal image shows that small breakouts were present immediately behind the leading tip of the flow and farther upslope, indicated by the white and yellowish pixels.

 

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