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Photo and Video Chronology - Kīlauea - January 30, 2017

By Kīlauea January 30, 2017

Ground crack at Kīlauea ocean entry is cause for concern

 

Ground crack at Kīlauea ocean entry is cause for concern...
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Due to the instability of the sea cliff above the ocean entry and other hazards created by molten lava flowing into the sea, Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park has established a viewing area (noted by yellow arrow in photo) from which the ocean entry can be seen in relative safety.
A thermal image taken during HVO's overflight of Kīlauea Volcano's ...
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
A thermal image taken during HVO's overflight of Kīlauea Volcano's ocean entry on Jan. 25, 2017, revealed a hot ground crack in the sea cliff just above where lava is flowing into the sea. Because the crack suggested an unstable sea cliff, HVO geologists briefly visited the site on foot for closer observations and measurements this past weekend.
Carefully approaching the site in protective gear on Jan. 28, HVO g...
Carefully approaching the site in protective gear on Jan. 28, HVO geologists determined that the eastern end of the hot crack was about 30 cm (11.8 in) wide and deeply cut into recent lava atop the older sea cliff. The western end could not be accessed due to poor air quality, spatter fallout, and other safety concerns. This crack could be a precursor to collapse of an unstable section of the sea cliff, making the site extremely dangerous for anyone who ventures too closely to the ocean entry by land or by sea.
Using a thermal image of the crack above Kīlauea volcano's ocean en...
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Using a thermal image of the crack above Kīlauea volcano's ocean entry (steam from lava flowing into the sea is visible at the top of the left photo), HVO geologists determined that the temperature within the eastern end of the crack is up to about 220 degrees Celsius (428 degrees Fahrenheit).
At Kīlauea's ocean entry on Jan. 28 and 29, the interaction of molt...
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
At Kīlauea's ocean entry on Jan. 28 and 29, the interaction of molten lava flowing into cool seawater caused pulsating littoral explosions that threw spatter (fragments of molten lava) high into the air. Some of these incandescent clasts fell on top of the sea cliff behind the ocean entry, forming a small spatter cone. During one exceptionally large burst, spatter was thrown about twice the height of the sea cliff. These ocean entry littoral explosions, both large and small, create hazardous conditions on land and at sea.

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