COURTESY HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY
Lava enters the ocean at Kamokuna sending up a plume of smoke and ash. Approximately 21 acres of delta collapsed into the ocean on New Year’s Eve. A scarp is visible where a portion of the old sea cliff collapsed in this photo taken Thursday.
Select an option below to continue reading this premium story.
Already a Honolulu Star-Advertiser subscriber? Log in now to continue reading.
The eruption of the volcano Kilauea on the East Rift Zone remained active last week, with lava pouring into the ocean at Kamokuna, creating a tall white plume of ash and smoke.
The so-called 61g flow, which originates from vents near the Puu Oo cinder cone, continues to roll across the surface, with a secondary branch now
1.5 miles long. These flows pose no threat to surrounding communities, according to the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.
Following a bench collapse at Kamokuna on New Year’s Eve, no new bench has formed, perhaps because the flanks of the island just offshore are very steep, observatory scientists said.
At the summit, the lava lake surface in Halemaumau Overlook Vent was 136 feet below the adjacent floor of the crater on Friday morning.