Lava flows from Kahaualea 2 at Kilauea burn forests but cause little other change

Breakouts from the Kahaualea 2 lava flow burned forest areas north of Kilauea’s middle east rift zone Saturday as eruption activity continued with little change.

Tiltmeters at the Kilauea summit recorded only minor fluctuations, according to the U.S. Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. Seismic tremor levels were also low, according to the observatory.

The tiltmeter at Puu Oo cone in the middle east rift zone also recorded only minor fluctuations.

According to the observatory, the northeast spatter cone continued to feed the Kahaualea 2 flow, which extended about 1.6 miles to the north. Breakouts from the flow burned forest at the north edge of a flow field created between 1983 and 1986.

A second active front, about 1.2 miles north-northwest of Puu Oo, expanded to the west and burned the edge of the forest to the north, the observatory reported.

Meanwhile, the so-called Peace Day flow fed a pair of ocean entries via lava tubes. The main entry area was just east of the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park boundary; a smaller entry was located just inside the park.