73
Increased volcanic activity continues at the summit of Kilauea and at the Pu’u ‘O’o vent.
Lava is flowing from a cone in the northeast and a vent on the east wall of Pu’u ‘O’o into the crater. The Hawaii Volcano Observatory released a video of the activity in the crater on Wednesday. The flow continued, off-and-on, yesterday and today.
A lava lake in Halema’uma’u is also active.
A section of rock above the summit vent collapsed into the lake on Monday, sending gas and ash into the air and creating loud popping sounds that could be heard by visitors to the Jaggar Museum Overlook in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park Lava ash and Pele’s hair from the volcano dusted cars in the parking lot.
The summit vent has grown to nearly 500 feet in diameter.
"There seems to be increased magma supply in the system so we’re just getting a lot more activity," said Janet Babb, a spokeswoman for the Hawaii Volcano Observatory.
Babb said the floor at Pu’u ‘O’o has risen about 200 feet in the past year.
Rocks continue to fall into the lava lake at Halema’uma’u at the summit, she said, although not with the same intensity as earlier in the week.
Babb said lava continues to flow through the tube system over the pali and on the coastal plane near Kalapana. But lava is not going into the ocean at this time and is not posing an immediate threat to homes in Kalapana Gardens.
