Images

The activity at the leading tip of the flow was vigorous, with small channels appearing from time to time.

A video of activity at the flow front today.

A short distance upslope of the leading tip of the flow, the margin was less vigorous and forming more typical pāhoehoe lobes.

Although the leading tip of the flow consisted of pāhoehoe, visible in the foreground of this photo, there was still ‘A‘ā active on the steep slopes of the pali and at the base of the pali (upper part of the photo). The open channels that were active on the pali a few days ago have largely crusted over, but some sections remained active today.

Ox Bel Ha Cave Project Field Team Members (left to right) David Brankovits (TAMUG), Jake Emmert (Moody Gardens), John Pohlman (USGS), and Francisco Bautista De La Cruz (Speleotech).

This map shows recent changes to Kīlauea's East Rift Zone lava flow field. The area of the active flow field as of June 28 is shown in pink, while widening and advancement of the active flow as mapped on June 30 is shown in red. Older Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō lava flows (1983-2016) are shown in gray.

A view looking up the pali, with the channels feeding lava to the flow front, which is spreading out at the base of the pali in the bottom of the photograph.

Just above the steep section of the pali, the lava flow transitions from tube-fed pāhoehoe to the open channels that are feeding lava at the flow front.

A video showing the channelized flow near the flow front.

A section of the channelized ‘A‘ā, with what appears to be a small surge of lava moving through the channel.

Another skylight opened up in the past few days, exposing a long section of the lava stream.

The flow front reached the base of the pali yesterday, and over the past day has begun spreading out a short distance onto the coastal plain. Channelized ‘A‘ā remains active on the steep portion of the pali, with several parallel channels of swiftly moving lava.

A look into one of several skylights on the lava tube. The brightest area is the open lava stream.

Up close view of the front of the ‘A‘ā flow.

The flow front was reaching the base of the pali today, burning vegetation in the adjacent kipuka. The front consisted of ‘A‘ā that was fed by a narrow channel extending down the steep section of the pali.

The flow front as it approaches another mango tree.

Close view of ‘A‘ā blocks in the channel of the flow.

A mango tree is surrounded by the ‘A‘ā flow.

The flow front was supplied by a narrow channelized section on the steep portion of the pali.

Another view of the flow front, contrasting the hot fluid core of the flow (red) with the brittle clinker (black) that forms the flow exterior.

A close-up of clinker at the flow front.