Lava Update | May 13, 2018

Eruptive activity continues on Kilauea’s east rift zone, as a new 1,000 foot long fissure broke out early this morning, approximately 1/2 mile to the east of the Puna Geothermal Venture facility, and continues to spatter into this evening. All other fissures are not issuing any molten lava at this time, although they’re continuing to discharge a large amount of sulfur dioxide, and creating a health hazard for areas downwind. See the photos below.

Please continue to pray for the residents that are affected! Mahalo!!

 

The leading edge of this fissure widens as it flows into a pasture, and just ahead of it, ground cracks begin steaming.

A 1,000 foot long fissure of lava erupts approximately 1/2 mile east of the Puna Geothermal facility. Explosions from this vent sent chunks of lava flying more than 500 feet into the air.

Unlike previous fissures, this one is offset from the others by roughly 200 yards. Fissure #16 is in the left middle of the frame, while the Puna Geothermal Venture facility is near the top of the frame.

Temporary flight restrictions keep us at 3,000 feet above ground, making it extremely difficult to properly document this historical event, as this puts us above the clouds on most days. In this photo, a home is threatened by this fissure eruption.

A tremendous amount of sulfur dioxide continues to discharge from vents, creating a serious health hazard for anyone living downwind of the eruption zone.

Lava continues to widen this fissure eruption, while more steam vents from ground cracks ahead of the leading edge.

The house with the round, blue roof seems to be still standing, although uninhabitable. A tremendous amount of sulfur dioxide continues to discharge from fissures within Leilani Estates.

This photo shows the new fissure eruption in the upper right of the frame, relative to the Puna Geothermal Venture facility in the upper left. Fissure eruption #16 is the area of black in the middle right of the frame. Lanipuna Gardens subdivision is in the foreground.