Kilauea lava lake at highest level to date, still rising
The lava level was high enough at the lava lake Thursday evening that bits of spatter were reaching the rim of the Overlook crater. (Hawaiian Volcano Observatory)
Over the past week small flows have filled the bottom of Puu Oo Crater. These flows originated from vents in the south portion of the crater, and one of the flows can be seen near the center of this photo taken Thursday.
The farthest active breakout on the June 27th flow reached about 5 miles northeast of the vent on Puu Oo The tip of this breakout was narrow and burning forest Thursday.
The June 27th flow covers much of the top of this photo taken Thursday, and recent expansion of the flow margins has sent lava cascading into one of the ponds on the 2007 perched lava channel. This 2007 lava fills the bottom of the photograph, and is covered with yellow alteration
Breakouts on the June 27th lava flow remain active northeast of Puu Oo. A new, small, breakout appeared recently from the tube adjacent to Puu Kahaualea, the small forested cone near the center of the photograph taken Thursday. The new breakout is the light-colored curved flow in the left portion of the photograph. Puu Oo is in the upper right portion of the photo.
A small breakout from an inflated portion of the June 27th flow is seen in this photo taken Thursday. Large gas bubbles reach the surface near the source of the breakout, and are then carried and deformed as the surface advances and cools.
This photo taken Thursday shows another view of the lava lake, with several areas of spattering active.
The Overlook crater lava lake, within Halemaʻumaʻu Crater at Kīlauea's summit, has been rising over the past few days, and today reached the highest point yet measured for the current summit eruption. The lava lake this afternoon was 20 meters (66 feet) below the Overlook crater rim.
The lava lake at Halemaumau crater reached its highest level since the summit eruption began in 2008 and continued to rise Friday morning, giving visitors a dramatic view of pulsating lava.
The lake level was measured at 66 feet below the crater rim Thursday afternoon and lava splatter reached the rim of the overlook crater.
Scientists at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory reported the lake level appears to have risen a few yards higher Friday morning.
The high lava level triggered a small collapse from the overhanging west wall and rim of the overlook crater at about 5:20 a.m. Friday, triggering a small explosive event that threw spatter out onto the Halemaumau crater floor, geologists said.
The rise of the lava lake coincides with inflation at the summit, which began Tuesday. Seismicity also increased at the summit and along the upper East Rift Zone and lava breakouts were reported at Puu Oo crater.
Small lava flows erupted sporadically from vents at the south and southeast edges of the crater Thursday. The flows remained in the crater.
Lava flows around Puu Oo remained active, with one flow burning forest about 5 miles northeast of the crater.
Three earthquakes were felt in Hawaii this past week. On Sunday, at 7:47 a.m. a magnitude-2.3 earthquake occurred 7.6 miles southwest Laupahoehoe, at a depth of 10.5 miles. On Monday at 9:18 p.m., a magnitude-3.2 earthquake occurred 6.9 miles northeast of Keanae, Maui, at a depth of 9.2 miles. On Tuesday at 11:02 p.m., a magnitude-2.4 earthquake occurred 85 miles east of Waikii on the Big Island at a depth of 15.7 miles.
