Steam rises from cracks early Friday morning in Leilani Estates subdivision, moments before a fissure opened up on Kaupili Street. (Courtesy USGS)
USGS
A new lava fissure commenced around 1:00 a.m. Friday morning on Kīlauea Volcano's lower East Rift Zone on Makamae and Leilani Streets in the Leilani Estates subdivision.
Residents of the lower Puna District should remain alert, review individual, family, and business emergency plans, and watch for further information about the status of the volcano.
Areas downslope of the erupting vent are at risk of lava inundation. At this time, the general area of the Leilani Estates subdivision appears at greatest risk.
The opening phases of fissure eruptions are dynamic. Additional vents and new lava outbreaks may occur. The fissure in Leilani Estates (as of 6:00 p.m.) was about 150 m (164 yards) long.
An eruption has commenced in the Leilani Estates subdivision in the lower East Rift Zone of Kīlauea Volcano. White, hot vapor and blue fume emanated from an area of cracking in the eastern part of the subdivision.
HVO geologists confirmed that the Episode 61g flow is now inactive. Thermal images showed no active breakouts on the flow field. This photo shows the area where breakouts were focused prior to magma draining from Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō earlier in the week.
At 10:31 a.m. HST, while HVO geologists were working on Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō, a magnitude-5.0 earthquake shook the ground around the cone. Moments later, a collapse occurred in the crater of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō, creating a robust, reddish-brown ash plume.
A view of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō from the east, shortly after a small collapse. The coating of red ash on the south side of the cone (left side of photo) is evident.
Another wide view, from the east, showing the dust-rich plume and coating of reddish ash to the south of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō.
This wide shot looks northeast, and shows the fissure that formed on the west flank of the Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō cone (line of white steam). The fissure extends roughly 1.5 km (0.9 mi) west of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō Crater, and nearly reaches the bottom of the photograph.
After a long period of rain and low clouds, improved weather and high clouds today allowed good airborne observations of the collapse crater in Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō.
At 10:30 HST, ground shaking from a preliminary magnitude-5.0 earthquake south of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō caused rockfalls and possibly additional collapse into the Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō crater on Kīlauea Volcano's East Rift Zone.
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