Occasional bursts of volcanic ash have been spreading from the Halemaumau crater in Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano, the National Weather Service in Hawaii reported.
The ash will likely fall over Highway 11 and Kau district, as winds move toward the southwest.
Richard Allred is visiting Hawaii from Alexandria, Virginia. He flew in a helicopter above the Leilani Estates fissures yesterday and captured these images.
The United States Geological Survey just shared a map of the volcanic activity — which includes a new lava flow.
“Note a new lava flow that was observed during this morning’s overflight west of the active channels,” the agency wrote on Facebook.
However. the flow field “has not expanded significantly during the past day,” the USGS reports.
Hawaiian authorities said fissure eruptions picked up several days ago.
A USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientist said they don’t know how long the eruptions will last.
“For now, it looks like it’s going to continue. We take it day by day,” the scientist told residents on Tuesday.
James Webster, a geologist with the American Museum of Natural History in New York, walked us through the science of a term we’ve been hearing a lot today: lava bombs.
The bombs are propelled through the air by “expanding gases,” he said.
Active lava flows continue to plague the area near Kilauea Volcano. A photo from the United States Geological Survey shows lava blocking a road in the lower East Rift Zone
A lava flow from Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano is not posing an immediate threat to the Puna Geothermal Venture plant, the U.S. Geological Survey said Wednesday.
The lava created a natural wall that blocked the flow from reaching the plant, USGS scientist Wendy Stovall told reporters.
Active lava flows continue to plague the area near Kilauea Volcano. A photo from the United States Geological Survey shows lava blocking a road in the lower East Rift Zone.
A lava flow from Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano is not posing an immediate threat to the Puna Geothermal Venture plant, the U.S. Geological Survey said Wednesday.
The lava created a natural wall that blocked the flow from reaching the plant, USGS scientist Wendy Stovall told reporters.
A widening in the rift zone also caused land south of the eruption to sink, she said. Because of that, the primary lava flow was moving south and away from the plant.
Puna Geothermal Venture, which is able to supply up to 10 percent of the electricity on the Big Island, has been secured, with all of its 11 wells successfully capped, Mike Kaleikini, senior director of Hawaii Affairs for Ormat, the plant’s owner.
PGV employees are monitoring the situation, he said.
Brett Carr took this video of a fissure eruption at Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano early Wednesday.
Hawaiian authorities said fissure eruptions picked up several days ago.
A USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientist said they don’t know how long the eruptions will last.
“For now, it looks like it’s going to continue. We take it day by day,” the scientist told residents on Tuesday.
Several fissures, or cracks in the ground, are pumping out lava, as eruptions continue in Kilauea volcano’s lower east side, the Hawaii County Civil Defense Agency said Wednesday.
The civil defense agency said county, state and federal officials are also monitoring the situation at the Puna Geothermal Venture property, the civil defense agency said.
Relentless lava flow has reached the plant, which produces electricity by bringing steam up from underground wells and funneling it to a turbine generator.
Officials are trying to prevent possible explosions or the release of toxic fumes by “quenching” most of the wells, Hawaii Emergency Management Agency spokesman Thomas Travis said.
Quenching starts with filling underground wells with cold water. So far, 10 of the 11 wells at the geothermal plant have been quenched, Hawaii County officials said.
Occasional bursts of volcanic ash have been spreading from the Halemaumau crater in Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano, the National Weather Service in Hawaii reported.
The ash will likely fall over Highway 11 and Kau district, as winds move toward the southwest.
The weather service urged residents to avoid exposure to the ash, which can cause eye and respiratory issues.
CNN photojournalist Jordan Guzzardo has been operating what volcano watchers have dubbed CNN’s “Lava Cam” near the town of Pahoa since Tuesday morning.
Here’s what Guzzardo says the last 36 hours have been like:
James Webster, a geologist with the American Museum of Natural History in New York, walked us through the science of a term we’ve been hearing a lot today: lava bombs.
The bombs are propelled through the air by “expanding gases,” he said.
Hawaii resident Tam Hunt’s neighbors’ home is falling into cracks in the earth caused by fissures that opened up due to volcanic eruptions.
He shot this video of the scene:
The couple that lives in the home evacuated earlier this month.
Hawaii resident Tam Hunt shot these photos of his neighbors’ home falling into cracks in the earth caused by fissures that opened up due to volcanic eruptions.
The couple that lives in the home in Puna evacuated earlier this month when the Hawaii County Civil Defense ordered a mandatory evacuation for Leilani Estates, the subdivision where the house is located.
“My other next door neighbors’ house falling into the same large crack in my backyard,” Hunt wrote on Facebook.
Here’s another angle of the house slipping into the crack:
Richard Allred is visiting Hawaii from Alexandria, Virginia. He flew in a helicopter above the Leilani Estates fissures yesterday and captured these images.
The United States Geological Survey shared a photo of the volcano eruption with striking blue flames peeking through the cracks of the street.
That’s the blue flame of methane gas, a byproduct of burning vegetation. The USGS explains it like this:
The United States Geological Survey just shared a map of the volcanic activity — which includes a new lava flow.
“Note a new lava flow that was observed during this morning’s overflight west of the active channels,” the agency wrote on Facebook.
However. the flow field “has not expanded significantly during the past day,” the USGS reports.
Darryl Clinton was using a fire extinguisher and a garden hose to defend him home — and his neighbors’ — from the volcano when he was hit with a lava bomb.
A lava bomb is essentially a flying chunk of molten rock. The bombs have hit houses: Heaps of flaming rock shattered windows and destroyed a septic tank, setting it ablaze with a blue flame of burning methane gas.
Clinton was talking on his cell phone when a bowling ball-sized lava bomb hit him in the leg while he was on the porch.
So what is getting hit like?
“‘That didn’t just happen’ was my first thought,” he said Tuesday. “I knew it was real because of the pain.”
The fiery bomb snapped bones in his leg.
