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Fissure 8 continues to erupt vigorously, with lava streaming through a channel that reaches the ocean at Kapoho Bay. The width of the active part of the lava channel varies along its length, but ranges from about 100 to 300 meters (yards) wide. A clear view of the cinder-and-spatter cone that's building around the vent from ongoing lava fountains can be seen here.
Distant view of Kīlauea Volcano's fissure 8 lava channel from HVO's early morning overflight on June 10, looking to the southeast. Bryson's cinder quarry is the brown patch just to the north of the channel.
A closer view of the fissure 8 lava channel with the cinder quarry more clearly visible in the foreground (bottom of photo). During this morning's overflight, HVO geologists observed no new breakouts of lava near this quarry.
Overflows of the upper fissure 8 lava channel this morning sent small flows of lava down the levee walls. These overflows did not extend far from the channel, so they posed no immediate threat to nearby areas. Channel overflows, like the ones shown here, add layers of lava to the channel levees, increasing their height and thickness.
The fissure 8 lava flow reaches the ocean at Kapoho Bay, where a lava delta has formed and continues to grow as lava enters the sea. The largest white laze plume marks the main point where lava is entering the sea, but smaller active entry points persist along the entire leading margin of the flow.
A closer aerial view of the lava delta forming at the Kapoho Bay ocean entry, where fissure 8 lava continued enter the ocean as of this morning. Laze (lava haze), an acidic white plume laced with tiny particles of volcanic glass, is produced by the ocean entry and creates an ongoing hazard that should be avoided.
Another explosion occurred at Halema‘uma‘u at 12:51 a.m. HST today, releasing energy equivalent to a magnitude-5.3 earthquake. Following the explosion, summit activity consisted mostly of passive degassing at Halema‘uma‘u, similar to what is shown in this image taken mid-morning. Seismicity at the summit decreased after the explosion, but has been increasing throughout the day.
A photogrammetry survey of Kīlauea’s summit by the U.S. Department of Interior Unmanned Aircraft Systems’ (UAS) Kīlauea response team show the topography of Halema‘uma‘u as of June 8. Cracks through the former overlook parking lot (bottom of image) wrap around the east margin of Halema‘uma‘u; the once-popular overlook viewing area (closed since 2008 due to volcanic hazards associated with the former summit lava lake) has collapsed into the crater. New faulting and slumping are obvious on the crater’s west side (left). The depth of the crater has increased by roughly 250 meters (820 feet) since early May. Limited UAS flights into the summit area are conducted with permission and in coordination with Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park to collect quantitative and qualitative data needed for updated hazard assessments, all of which are shared with emergency managers. Image courtesy of the U.S. Geological Survey and Office of Aviation Services, Department of the Interior, with support from the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory and Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park.
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