Photo and Video Chronology - Kīlauea - February 21, 2005

"Abandon hope, all ye who enter here." Those immortal words that Dante put at the gates of Hell in his poem, Inferno, are apt for this view. Glow reflects from the walls of a crack into which lava pours at East Lae`apuki. Sea cliff is at edge of shelf beyond glow. If anyone entered this crack, hope would be abandoned ...quickly.

Another entrance which well might bear Dante's inscription. Lava here is pouring down sea cliff into water (out of view), with glow reflected from steam and from end of crack in left image.

Top of lava falls at East Lae`apuki ocean entry. Looking west, with slopes of Pulama pali in background.

Lava falls down sea cliff at East Lae`apuki. Height of cliff, about 12 m.

Base of lava falls in images above.

Another view of base of lava falls.

Falling arrows of lava.

Trickle of lava builds puddle below, temporarily out of harm's way from the surf.

Shadow halfway up sea cliff gives two-tone appearance to early alpen glow shortly after dawn.

Sluggish lava trying to resist gravity and failing.

The trickles of lava are slowing as flux lessens and crust grows to hide the liquid.

Alpen glow shadows give depth to image, which shows how crusted drapery hangs out away from sea cliff. This happened because the cliff was slightly overhung, so that the falling lava cooled and developed crust completely around it. Such drapery is exceptionally fragile and probably won't last long.

Small, no, tiny, lava delta forming at foot of sea cliff gives off plume of laze, mostly steam.

Wide view of East Lae`apuki ocean entry and the shoreline southwest of it. Holei Pali in distance. Photographers' shadows as in Plato's cave.