Lava flow spreads and stalls

By Star-Advertiser staff

Sept. 25, 2011

COURTESY: USGS HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY
This image taken Friday shows lava cascading about 20 feet near the eastern base of Pu‘u ‘?‘?. The lava stream continues on several hundred more yards before transitioning into rubbly p?hoehoe and ‘a‘? flows.

Photo Gallery: Eruption photos

A new lava flow from Pu’u ‘O’o crater has stalled within the Kahaualea Natural Reserve Area, scientists at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said today.

Lava continues to flow from the fissure breakout that started Wednesday. An overflight of the flow yesterday showed the ‘a’a flow had advanced only a few hundred yards to the southeast before stalling. Most of the active lava was spreading out at a higher elevation south and west of Pu’u Halulu a little less than a mile northeast of Pu’u ‘O’o crater. There was no visible activity within Pu’u ‘O’o crater this morning, but there were several glowing spots overnight.

At Halema’uma’u at the Kilauea summit, a piece of the north ledge dropped into lava lake in the crater floor. The lake level has fluctuated, but is generally dropping and is about 245 feet below the crater floor.

Lava from Pu’u ‘O’o advanced about 2.3 miles between Wednesday morning and Friday before stalling this weekend. If it continues southeast, it could pose a threat to the mostly abandoned Royal Gardens subdivision.