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Lava continues to enter ocean at Kupapau Point

This entry point has two larger lava streams entering the water. The lava fragments due to cooling and disruption by the battering surf, and some of these pieces float on the water’s surface in front of the entry point. (Photo courtesy of HVO)

After a 12 km (7.5 mile) journey from the vent on Puu Oo cone through a lava tube, lava pours into the ocean in narrow streams at one of the eastern entry points. (Photo courtesy of HVO)

Over the past week this spatter cone on the floor of Puu Oo crater has been the source of several large, but brief, lava flows on the crater floor. (Photo courtesy of HVO)

MEDIA RELEASE

The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory has released pictures of lava entering the ocean in two places near the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park boundary.

Lava has been flowing into the ocean from what’s called the Peace Day flow.

The flow began Sept. 11, 2011 when a fissure opened on the east flank of Puu Oo, draining a lava lake that had formed in the crater.

The flow reached the ocean Nov. 24.

The observatory also released a photo of a splatter cone within Puu Oo crater. There have been small lava flows within the crater in recent weeks.

The lava flows are visible from a Hawaii County observation point outside the park. Private helicopter and boat tours are also taking tourists near the flow areas.

— Find out more:
http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/kilauea/

Small-scale map showing the active Peace Day flow, carrying lava to the ocean, and the inactive Kahaualea flow northeast of Puu Oo, as of April 23, 2013. Widening of both flow fields between April 8 and April 23 is shown in bright red, while the extent of the flow fields before April 8 are shown in pink. Older lava flows are labeled with the years in which they were active. Episodes 1–48b (1983–1986) are shown in gray; episodes 48c–49 (1986–1992) are pale yellow; episodes 50–55 (1992–2007) are tan; and episodes 58–60 (2007–2011) are pale orange. The Peace Day lava tube is shown by the yellow line. (Image courtesy of USGS)

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