Lava pit forms after collapse of Puu Oo slope
A new collapse pit that formed in the western portion of Puu Oo Cratercan be seen in the lower left portion of the photograph taken Friday. The circular pit is about 90 feet in diameter. (USGS/Hawaiian Volcano Observatory)
Breakouts remain active in three general areas near Puu Oo: 1) at the northern base of Puu Oo, 2) just north of Kahaualea, and 3) the most distal breakout, about 4 miles northeast of Puu Oo. This photograph shows much of the most distal breakout, a portion of which was burning forest. Puu Oo can be seen near the top of the photograph.
In this Friday photo, Puu Oo is in the upper left portion of the image. Slightly above and to the right of the center of the photograph, the light colored area of lava is the active breakout (which started on February 21) on the north flank of Puu Oo. The small forested cone of Kahaualea is just to the left of the center of the photograph.
In this thermal image of a lava breakout north of Kahalualea, flowing portions of the breakout are shown by yellow and white colors, while the red and purple areas show hot, but solidified, portions of the surface crust.
A lava breakout north of Kahauale?a has one lobe that has traveled along the west side of the perched lava channel. The breakout consists of blue glassy pahoehoe.
A thermal image of the lava pit shows two areas of ponded lava, separated by a pile of collapse rubble, deep within the pit. Measurements using the thermal camera images indicated that the lava pond surface was about 80 feet below the rim of the pit.
A new lava pit has formed on the west slope of Puu Oo crater, following the collapse of a section of the slope walls, Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists said after a helicopter overflight of the volcano this weekend.
The circular surface opening is about 90 feet in diameter, but the floor of the collapsed pit is about 260 feet in diameter with two active lava ponds about 80 feet below the pit rim.
The pit apparently formed since the last overflight of Puu Oo on March 24. Scientists who walked the area previously reported hot ground cracks in the region.
The observatory released photos from Friday’s helicopter overflight this weekend, which also show three lava breakout lava flows near Puu Oo.
The breakouts are all within four miles of Puu Oo. There is no activity near Pahoa.
The active breakouts are at the northern base of Puu Oo; just north of Puu Kahaualea and about 4 miles northeast of Puu Oo.
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