New lava flow breaks out on the west flank of Pu‘u ‘Ō ‘ō

Around 2:20 p.m., HST, on August 3, lava broke out from a vent (center) low on the west flank of the Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō cone. Lava erupting from the flank vent is entirely within Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, and pose no hazard to residents.

Around 2:20 p.m., HST, on August 3, lava broke out from a vent (center) low on the west flank of the Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō cone. Lava erupting from the flank vent is entirely within Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, and pose no hazard to residents.

Lava flowing from vents on the west flank of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō formed two branches. A weak north arm advanced northward into forested kipuka (upper right). A higher-volume south arm quickly advanced down Kīlauea’s south flank along the edge of flows erupted in 2002-2004 (upper left). Both flows are entirely within Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, and pose no hazard to residents. The Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō crater is shown in the foreground.

Lava flowing from vents on the west flank of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō formed two branches. A weak north arm advanced northward into forested kipuka (upper right). A higher-volume south arm quickly advanced down Kīlauea’s south flank along the edge of flows erupted in 2002-2004 (upper left). Both flows are entirely within Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, and pose no hazard to residents. The Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō crater is shown in the foreground.

HAWAI‘I ISLAND, Hawaii — At 2:05 p.m., HST, this afternoon, the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) monitoring network detected the onset of rapid deflation of the Pu‘u ‘O‘o crater floor. Soon thereafter, at 2:20 p.m., lava broke out at the base of the west flank of the Pu‘u ‘O‘o cone.

According to Jim Kauahikaua, HVO’s Scientist-in-Charge, the breakout points are 0.7 km (0.4 mi) east of the eastern end of the Kamaoamoa fissure that erupted earlier this year, in March 2011, or about half way between Pu‘u ‘O‘o Crater and the eastern end of the Kamoamoa fissure.

“Interestingly, as the crater floor deflated, lava in the perched lake within Pu‘u ‘O‘o Crater continued to circulate, just as it had over the past several weeks,” Kauahikaua noted, “but, by 3:15 p.m., the crater floor and lava lake began to collapse.”

HVO scientists at the eruption site reported a branched lava flow moving down Kilauea’s south flank. The weaker northwest arm was pushing into kipuka and forest, while the higher volume, larger south arm had advanced at least 3 km (1.8 mi) downslope as of 3:50 p.m. The lava flow is entirely within Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park and poses no hazard to residents at this time.

At 2:02 p.m., HST, on August 3, the floor of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō crater, which had risen significantly over the past month, forming a dome beneath the perched lava lake, started to subside. By 3:15 p.m., the crater floor and perched lava lake began to collapse. Within a couple of hours, the lava lake was no longer visible, and the crater floor was covered in rubble.

At 2:02 p.m., HST, on August 3, the floor of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō crater, which had risen significantly over the past month, forming a dome beneath the perched lava lake, started to subside. By 3:15 p.m., the crater floor and perched lava lake began to collapse. Within a couple of hours, the lava lake was no longer visible, and the crater floor was covered in rubble.

The east rift zone activity has not caused significant changes within Kilauea’s summit vent in Halema‘uma‘u Crater.

Updates on the status of Kilauea’s east rift and summit eruptions are posted on HVO’s Web site every morning at http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/hvo/activity/kilaueastatus.php. Additional updates on the new east rift zone activity will be posted each afternoon as merited.

HVO webcam images of Pu‘u ‘Ô‘ô and surrounding area, including the site of the current activity, can be accessed at http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/hvo/cams/. The webcam images, which are updated every 5 minutes, are primarily for research and monitoring purposes, but are made available as a courtesy to the public.

Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park has closed the Chain of Craters Road until further notice, but sections of Crater Rim Drive remain open. For more information about access and road closures, Park visitors should call 808-985-6011 or email havo_interpretation@nps.gov.

The USGS provides science for a changing world. For more information, visit www.usgs.gov

Left: Pu‘u ‘Ō ‘ō with the intact crater floor on July 28, 2011. Right: Pu‘u ‘Ō ‘ō with the floor collapsed on August 3, 2011.

Left: Pu‘u ‘Ō ‘ō with the intact crater floor on July 28, 2011. Right: Pu‘u ‘Ō ‘ō with the floor collapsed on August 3, 2011.

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