Images

This shaded-relief map, courtesy of the Carnegie Airborne Observatory, shows some of the cracks, faults, and grabens (down-dropped blocks between adjacent faults; http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learn/glossary/?term=graben) that are present in Kīlauea's East Rift Zone, and which are partly controlling t

Following a reduction in surface activity yesterday, we observed an increase in surface flows today issuing from the ground crack. The reduction yesterday was likely due to lava filling the deep ground cracks. The flow front today was moving towards the north from the ground crack, through thick forest, creating a dense plume of smoke.

A wide view of Kīlauea and Mauna Loa volcanoes, looking northwest. Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō Crater, on Kīlauea's East Rift Zone, is the large fuming crater just to the left of the image center.

Lava was filling another ground crack near the flow front, as indicated by a line of steam that extended a short distance west of the flow tip. At two spots along this ground crack we observed small pads of lava near the surface.

Large-scale map showing the distal part of the June 27th flow in relation to nearby Puna communities. Flow advancement is illustrated with black dots which show the flow front on specific dates.

Small-scale map showing the June 27th flow in Kīlauea's East Rift Zone as of September 4, 2014. Lava on the surface at 1 PM, outlined in red, was 13.3 km (8.3 miles) from the vent and 1.2 km (0.7 miles) from the east boundary of the Wao Kele o Puna Forest Reserve. The front of the flow was spilling into another crack, which was steaming.

This shaded-relief map, courtesy of the Carnegie Airborne Observatory, shows some of the cracks and faults that are present in Kīlauea's East Rift Zone. The June 27th flow is partly transparent and shown in pink, while the active surface lava at 1 PM on September 4 are outlined in red.

Map showing the June 27th flow in Kīlauea's East Rift Zone as of September 3, 2014. The area of the flow as mapped on September 1 is shown in pink, while widening and advancement of the flow as of September 3 is shown in red. Last night, lava welled up out of the crack it was filling and spilled out onto the ground to feed new surface flows.

The June 27th lava flow remains active, with lava at the flow front issuing from a ground crack and advancing through thick forest, creating dense plumes of smoke. The farthest lava this afternoon was 13.2 km (8.2 miles) from the vent on Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō, and 1.3 km (0.8 miles) from the eastern boundary of the Wao Kele o Puna forest reserve.

A closer view of the flow front, looking west. It is difficult to see the active lava surface through the thick smoke. Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō can be seen in the upper left portion of the photograph, partly obscured by smoke.

This view looks east at the far end of the June 27th lava flow. In the center of the photograph is an isolated pad of lava which came out of ground crack last week.

One small portion of the flow front was quite vigorous, with an open stream of lava moving through the forest.

Lava from June 27 breakout flowing into deep ground crack along Kīlauea East Rift Zone, Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō, Hawai‘i

Preview image for video: The Quicktime video begins with a view of the steaming ground crack, where lava is moving deep within the crack. As the view rotates west, lava can be seen on the surface burning thick forest. Finally, the camera focuses on the eastern edge of the flow, where lava is plunging into the deep ground crack.

Near the leading edge of the lava on the surface, there was a swiftly moving stream of lava pouring into a deep ground crack (see Quicktime videos above). Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō is at the top of the photograph.

Map showing the June 27th flow in Kīlauea's East Rift Zone as of September 1, 2014. The area of the flow as mapped on August 29 is shown in pink, while widening and advancement of the flow as of September 1 is shown in red.

Surface flows at the front of the June 27th flow continue slowly moving through thick forest, creating scattered brush fires. This view looks south, and the cone of Heiheiahulu is in the upper left.

Extending slightly beyond the lava flows on the surface, a steaming ground crack indicates that lava is continuing to move beneath the surface. The front of the surface flows is just above and to the right of the center point of the photograph, and the steaming ground crack runs along the vertical center line of the photograph.

Preview image for video: The June 27th lava flow remains active at its leading edge, where lava is spreading out slowly into thick forest and also plunging into one of the many deep ground cracks that form Kīlauea's East Rift Zone. This Quicktime video shows the activity near the eastern edge of the flow.

This wide view, looking west, shows the position of the June 27th flow front relative to the nearby Kaohe Homesteads subdivision. The front of the flow is moving through thick forest, and its position can be seen by the plumes of smoke above the center of the photograph.

A closer look at the stream of lava pouring into the deep ground crack. See Quicktime videos above.