Images

A closer view of the recent flows working their way down the road and through the trees. The viewing area has been moved back once again due to its proximity to the lava flows and potential fire hazards.

View of the current TEB flow field. The ocean entry continues, producing a weak plume scattered along the coastline. The lighter gray colored lava is the recent flow that has entered the vegetation and reached the pavement at the end of Highway 130. Plumes from the TEB shield and Pu`u `Ō `ō crater are on the horizon.

Sometime in the last week, a 2-3 m (yard) skylight opened over the recently formed lava tube that is currently feeding the ocean entry. The terrace on the edge of the lava stream hosts smooth ripple-like features that form during lava level fluctuations, when lava rises up and spills over onto the ledge. Flow direction is from right to left.

Fume from Pu`u `Ō `ō crater was relatively light today, allowing for nice views into the crater. The Halema`uma`u plume is in the background just below the clouds.

Upslope from the west end near the Kalapana access road, scattered breakouts continued to be active.

Breakouts continued to be active on the east margin of the flow field, and hit the pavement of the Kalapana access road today creating thick black smoke from the burning asphalt.

Flows reached the pavement where the former viewing gate near the Kalapana access road resided.

Just south of the Kalapana access road, active pahoehoe was pushing through thick vegetation, creating scattered brush fires and small methane bursts.

Flow expansion over the past day also covered most of the former lava viewing area near the Kalapana access road. The County has since relocated the viewing area farther east.

One of several lava streams on the shore of Kilauea volcano.

The ocean entry that started on April 29 continues, and has expanded in width.

Lava first touched the water at 12:15pm, and this photo shows the first finger of lava approaching the ocean.

Distant view looking north at the active flow as it crossing the coastal plain and approaches the ocean. Houses in the Kalapana Gardens subdivision are visible to the right. The lava tube feeding lava to the flow front is delineated by the points of fume at upper left.

View looking south at the currently active flow crossing the coastal plain west of Kalapana. The new flow is the silvery lava crossing the photo from lower right to top center where the flow front is burning vegetation. The end of Hwy 130 is visible at upper left.

View looking back to the north at the terminus of the active flow as it approaches the forested kipuka at the center of the photo. Hwy 130 is at upper right. The old ocean entry viewing area, open from 2008 to early 2010, is visible near the bottom of the photo just to the right of center.

Zoomed-in view of the current visitor viewing area at the end of Hwy 130.

Lava, on its southward journey to the ocean, crossed and buried the County lava viewing trail. The viewing area was relocated a short distance back from the flow margin.

A 3 meter (10 ft) high cascade feeds lava into an old quarry at the end of the Kalapana access road, within view of the County viewing area.

This comparison of thermal images over the coastal plain shows the advancement of the active flows over the past week. At the top, a normal photograph from April 15 gives reference. The middle frame, from April 15, shows that the flows were approaching the bottom of the pali last week.

This photo shows the ropey texture of a recently crusted pahoehoe flow, as well as its superior strength as a natural insulator. The crack is still glowing hot but the lava is no longer moving under the crust.

A tree goes up in flames as the lava moves further into the kipuka. Looking closely, you can see the ash from the tree in the smoke column.