New video, photos show lava tube forming at Kilauea
U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY / HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY
Puu Oo’s current crater subsided by about 33 feet in the days following the May 24 breakouts. This view, looking southeast, shows the crater on June 2. HVO webcams are perched on the edge of the cone are in the foreground.
U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY / HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY
Lava can be seen on the top of a lava formation near a vent on the northeast flank of Puu Oo crater on June 2.
U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY / HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY
This June 2 photo shows the lava breakout on the northeast flank of Puu Oo crater. The light-colored flows in the foreground are active pahoehoe flows.
U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY / HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY
This photo, looking southwest, shows Puu Oo crater in the background, with the northern breakout from May 24 extending to the right, with fume coming from a newly forming lava tube. The feature in the center foreground is a perched lava pond that formed in July 2014, but was refilled by new lava from the northern breakout in recent days. The breakout point of the eastern breakout is the lighter colored lava at the left edge of the photo immediately below center.
U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY / HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY
This view of recent breakout on east flank of Puu Oo crater has advanced about .8 miles, but activity on June 2 was focused in the middle part of the flow, closer to its vent.
U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY / HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY
Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologists examine a hornito lava formation over middle of the three northeast flank vents.
U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY / HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY
The ground around the spatter cone on Puu Oo crater was covered in small gobs of spatter and Pele’s hair on June 2.
U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY / HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY
This June 2 photo shows lava flowing in a tube as seen from a skylight, or hole above the tube, which measures about 20 feet across.
U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY / HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY
A hole above a lava tube gives a glimpse to the lava flowing below in this June 2 photo.
U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY / HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY
This aerial photo shows the location of a lava vent and skylight on the east breakout on Puu Oo Crater.
A lava flow on the east slope of Puu Oo is developing a tube system, but has not advanced significantly since the breakout began on May 24.
Scientists at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory released new video and photos of the two new lava flows on the northeast and east slopes of Puu Oo.
The photos and video show a skylight over the lava tube and the lava flowing in the system and coming out further downslope. The hole above the tube is about 20 feet wide, scientists said.
Since the new flows began, the crater flow in Puu Oo has subsided by about 33 feet, scientists said.
The flows have been spreading but have not moved significantly downslope. Scientists said they are “primarily resurfacing areas they had already covered.” Activity on the northeast flow has moved back and is .5 miles from the vent today, rather than about .8 miles, which was the front of the flow last week.
Scientists also showed photos of a hornito, a tower of lava spatter that formed over a vent on the northeast of Puu Oo crater. Small gobs of spatter and Pele’s hair were seen around the spatter cone.
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The flows are still far from populated areas and are not a threat to communities around the volcano.
