This morning, slow-moving pāhoehoe lava toes and lobes continued to break out from the active flow that crossed the “emergency route” gravel road on KÄ«lauea Volcano’s south flank. Viewing these active breakouts requires a long (8-10 miles, round trip) and hot hike. It is essential for anyone attempting the hike to carry 2-3 quarts of drinking water per person. Sturdy shoes and sun protection (hat, sunglasses, sunscreen) are highly recommended. Early morning or late evening hikers should also carry a flashlight and extra batteries. For more safety info, please visit http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2000/fs152-00/ and https://www.nps.gov/havo/learn/photosmultimedia/lava-safety-video.htm Photo taken Saturday, July 30, 2016 courtesy of USGS/HVO

Sunday, July 31, 2016 U.S. Geological Survey/Hawaiian Volcano Observatory

Kilauea Volcano Status

Activity Summary: Eruptive activity continues at KÄ«lauea Volcano’s summit and East Rift Zone. The 61G lava flow extending southeast of PuÊ»u ʻŌʻō continues its Kamokuna Ocean entry and poses no threat to nearby communities. The lava lake at HalemaÊ»umaÊ»u Crater continues to circulate and intermittently spatter. Seismicity and deformation rates throughout the volcano remain at background levels.

Summit Observations: The lava lake within the HalemaÊ»umaÊ»u Overlook crater remains active. The depth to the lake was estimated at 26 m (85 ft) below the crater rim, measured yesterday. Tiltmeters at KÄ«lauea’s summit recorded progressively decreasing tilt since yesterday. Seismicity is within normal, background rates with tremor fluctuations associated with lava lake spattering. The summit sulfur dioxide emission rate ranged from 3,000 to 12,000 metric tons/day measured yesterday.

Puʻu ʻŌʻō Observations: Webcam images over the past 24 hours show persistent glow at long-term sources within the crater. There were no significant changes in seismicity or tilt over the past 24 hours. The sulfur dioxide emission rate from all East Rift Zone vents on July 27 was about 290 metric tons/day.

Lava Flow Observations: The 61G lava flow extending southeast of PuÊ»u ʻŌʻō towards the coastal plain on KÄ«lauea’s south flank remains active, with nearly all surface breakouts limited to the coastal plain. The Kamokuna area ocean entry continues and has widened since July 26. It now spans 240 m (787 ft) where it spills over the sea cliff. Areas of incandescence remain visible in overnight webcam views of the active lava flow field. A breakout occurred on the eastern edge of the flow on the pali Friday night, but it was short-lived. Nearly all activity remains limited to the coastal plain.

As a strong caution to visitors viewing the new ocean entry (location where lava meets the sea) for Flow 61G, there are additional significant hazards besides walking on uneven surfaces and around unstable, extremely steep sea cliffs. Venturing too close to an ocean entry exposes you to flying debris created by the explosive interaction between lava and water. Also, the new land created is unstable because it is built on unconsolidated lava fragments and sand. This loose material can easily be eroded away by surf causing the new land to become unsupported and slide into the sea. Finally, the interaction of lava with the ocean creates an acidic plume laden with fine volcanic particles that can irritate the skin, eyes, and lungs.

Please see these fact sheets for additional information:
http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2000/fs152-00/

Free entry into Hawaii Volcanoes National Park Monday (Aug 1)

Happy 100th Birthday to Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park! Entrance is free, their gift to visitors as they enter their 100th year on August 1, 2016! Join park rangers, staff, volunteers and partners at the Kīlauea Visitor Center (KVC) at 9 a.m. for Hawaiian music by Kenneth Makuakāne, and “lava cookies” donated by KTA Superstores, also celebrating their 100th anniversary this year.

More information about the centennial programs

This image shows a thermal map of the flow on the pali and coastal plain, created from airborne thermal images. White pixels are hot, and show areas of active surface breakouts. The background image is a satellite image collected before the current lava flow was active.
The thermal map shows scattered pāhoehoe breakouts on the coastal plain, with a narrow lobe of lava crossing the gravel road and extending to the ocean. The ocean entry has widened since it first formed on Tuesday, July 26, and now spans about 240 m (260 yards) of the coastline.