Kilauea Eruption: Lava flow continues, community meeting at Cooper Center tonight Thursday (July 5)

Hawaii County Civil Defense interactive map of roadblocks, subdivisions, and eruption fissures: hawaii247.com/lavamap

USGS Resources related to the 2018 Kilauea Lower East Rift Zone eruption and Summit Activity

KÄ«lauea Eruption Information Resources: www.hawaiicounty.gov/lava-related/

Crowdsourced Kilauea Eruption lavaflow map here.

Livestream webcam of Kilauea summit here.

EPA gas monitor data to www.epa.gov/kilaueaairdata.

Kilauea Eruption Update

This animated GIF shows a sequence of radar amplitude images that were acquired by the Agenzia Spaziale Italiana CosmoSkyMed satellite system. The images illustrate changes to the caldera area of Kīlauea Volcano that occurred between May 5 and July 4 at about 6:00 a.m. HST. The satellite transmits a radar signal at the surface and measures the strength of the return, with bright areas indicating a strong return and dark areas a weak return. Strong returns indicate rough surfaces or slopes that point back at the radar, while weak returns come from smooth surfaces or slopes angled away from the radar. Over time, expansion of the summit eruptive vent within Halema‘uma‘u crater and the widening of Halema‘uma‘u itself are obvious. Starting in late May, the development of several cracks outside Halema‘uma‘u is clear, and inward slumping of a large portion of the western, southwestern, and northern crater rim begins. Much of this motion appears to be coincident with the small explosions from the summit that have taken place on a near daily basis since early June. The most recent radar scene, from July 4, shows continued motion along cracks over a broader area of the caldera floor, extending east of Halema‘uma‘u (these cracks are the scarps seen in recent photographs from the Keanakākoʻi overlook area). We expect this slumping to continue as long as the collapse events and overall subsidence persist.

This animated GIF shows a sequence of radar amplitude images that were acquired by the Agenzia Spaziale Italiana CosmoSkyMed satellite system. The images illustrate changes to the caldera area of Kīlauea Volcano that occurred between May 5 and July 4 at about 6:00 a.m. HST. The satellite transmits a radar signal at the surface and measures the strength of the return, with bright areas indicating a strong return and dark areas a weak return. Strong returns indicate rough surfaces or slopes that point back at the radar, while weak returns come from smooth surfaces or slopes angled away from the radar. Over time, expansion of the summit eruptive vent within Halema‘uma‘u crater and the widening of Halema‘uma‘u itself are obvious. Starting in late May, the development of several cracks outside Halema‘uma‘u is clear, and inward slumping of a large portion of the western, southwestern, and northern crater rim begins. Much of this motion appears to be coincident with the small explosions from the summit that have taken place on a near daily basis since early June. The most recent radar scene, from July 4, shows continued motion along cracks over a broader area of the caldera floor, extending east of Halema‘uma‘u (these cracks are the scarps seen in recent photographs from the Keanakākoʻi overlook area). We expect this slumping to continue as long as the collapse events and overall subsidence persist.

This is a Civil Defense Message for 4 p.m., Thursday, July 5, 2018.

Hawaiian Volcano Observatory reports that Fissure 8 continues to be very active and is feeding a lava channel to the ocean at Kapoho. The flow is producing a broad ocean entry along the shoreline and continues to expand into Kapoho Beach Lots and the Four Corners intersection.

The following policies are issued.

  • Four Corners and Kapoho Beach Lots are closed to any access.
  • Be aware that spill overs of the channel and other breakouts are possible on the active flow field, do not access the active flow field due to extreme hazard.

Kamaili Road is open to residents only.

  • The air quality along Kamaili Road can be poor, so avoid the area if possible.
  • MacKenzie Beach Park and the lava flow across Highway 137 remain closed to the public.

Disaster assistance is available island-wide to individuals and businesses in Hawaii County that have been affected by the Kilauea eruption.

  • The Disaster Recovery Center is open daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and is located at the Keaau High School Gym. If you need a ride, buses will resume running between the two shelters and the Disaster Recovery Center between 7:30 a.m. and 9 p.m.
  • For more resources to help you recover from this disaster, please visit the county website. (http://www.hawaiicounty.gov/lava-related/)

The Pahoa Post Office is open during normal business hours with temporary Sunday hours from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for mail and package distribution only for residents in the affected areas. No retail services on Sunday.

For your safety, heed warnings from Civil Defense officials and stay alert.

Ocean entry laze

Due to the lava entry at the ocean, the following policies are in effect:

  • Access to the area is prohibited due to the laze hazard.
  • Stay away from any ocean plume since it can change direction without warning.
  • The U.S. Coast Guard is actively monitoring the ocean entry area and enforcing a 300-meter standoff zone. Only permitted tour boats are allowed in the area.
  • Health hazards of laze include lung, eye and skin irritation.
  • Be aware that the laze plume travels with the wind and can change direction without warning.

Get the latest Vog Predictions here: http://mkwc.ifa.hawaii.edu/vmap/

Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) and Vog

Click on image for a full description of air quality levels.

Click on image for full description of air quality levels.

Volcanic gas emissions remain elevated throughout the area downwind of the vents in lower Puna.

  • Severe conditions may exist such as choking and inability to breathe.
  • Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) gas from fissures are especially dangerous for elderly, children/babies and people with respiratory problems.

County, State, and Federal partners continue to monitor the situation. You will be informed of any conditions that affect your safety.

Monitor vog levels and forecasts: People on Hawaii Island outside the area of volcanic activity are also advised to monitor levels of vog at https://vog.ivhhn.org

The residents of Puna are going through a very difficult time. We ask for your help and understanding.

Illustration of KÄ«lauea Volcano from the summit caldera to the lower East Rift Zone (LERZ). Blue arrows = contraction across the upper and middle rift zone, black arrows = expansion in LERZ. Blue arrows indicate contraction across the upper and middle rift zone as magma withdrew from this area and moved down the rift zone beginning on April 30, 2018. Black arrows indicate expansion across the rift zone as magma intruded into the LERZ; the widening on about May 18, 2018. Also, beginning in early May, magma began moving from the summit reservoir into the East Rift Zone. Data sources used in this modeling are from the U.S. Geological Survey/ University of Hawaii, NASA, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency/ and the European Space Agency.

Illustration of KÄ«lauea Volcano from the summit caldera to the lower East Rift Zone.

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

RSS Weather Alerts

  • An error has occurred, which probably means the feed is down. Try again later.

 

Quantcast