Lava breakout described as ‘sluggish’
This Friday image shows surface lava activity upslope of the stalled fronts.
A small breakout upslope of the stalled flow front, triggered a small brush fire Friday.
This Friday photo shows a small breakout reached the flow boundary, triggering a small brush fire.
This photo from a Friday overflight of the volcano flow shows the view from the north margin of the flow looking toward the Pahoa Marketplace.
A small lava breakout that advanced about 200 yards along the southern flank of the flow front above the Malama Market, widened overnight, but did not advance.
A Civil Defense overflight Monday morning showed lava continues to move through the tube system with scattered surface lava breakouts upslope of the stalled fronts.
"The small breakout along the south margin of the flow to the west, or upslope, of the stalled front remains active, however sluggish and widening, and has not advanced since yesterday morning," Hawaii County Civil Defense officials said in an eruption update Monday.
The leading edge of that breakout is about 0.8 mile to the west or mauka of Highway 130, the main artery through the area.
Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists said scattered lava activity west of Kaohe Homesteads also continues.
Another breakout on the north flank of Pu’u ‘O’o was also active.
The lava activity is not immediate threat to Pahoa, civil defense said.
The northern tip of the flow remains about 550 yards from Highway 130 in an area west of the Pahoa police and fire stations, according to the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.
Lava breakouts upslope, behind the stalled front, for the most part are within the margins of the flow, not covering new ground, scientists said. One breakout triggered a small brush fire last week.
