Flow of lava eases from Puu Oo crater | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

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COURTESY HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY
Lava flowing from vents on the west flank of Pu‘u ‘?‘? formed two branches. A weak north arm advanced northward into forested kipuka (upper right). A higher-volume south arm quickly advanced down K?lauea’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 ‘?‘? crater is shown in the foreground.

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COURTESY HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY
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 ‘?‘? cone. Lava erupting from the flank vent is entirely within Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, and pose no hazard to residents.

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COURTESY HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY
At 2:02 p.m., HST, on August 3, the floor of Pu‘u ‘?‘? 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.

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The lava flow that began Wednesday on the west flank of Puu Oo crater has slowed, according to the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.

ON THE NET:

Enjoy a short video of at the base of Pu`u `O`o cone that started on the afternoon of August 3, 2011

Hawaii News Now video: New Lava flow at Pu’u ‘O’o crater

The northwest arm of the flow had not advanced and the flow to the south had advanced only 325 yards Thursday after moving 2.2 miles the day before.

“The volume of lava has diminished compared to (Wednesday),” said volcanologist Janet Babb said Thursday afternoon.

Babb said the gas emissions were elevated, but she didn’t know the extent because scientists were still conducting air measurements.

The lava began flowing at about 2 p.m. Wednesday from vents less than half a mile from Kamoamoa fissure, which last erupted in March. Babb said it’s the first time lava has broken out at the volcano since March, aside from some that spilled out at Puu Oo crater last week.

The new lava activity followed a collapse of the crater flow in Puu Oo.

Kilauea, one of the world’s most active volcanoes, has been continuously erupting since Jan. 2, 1983.

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