U.S. Department of
Interior, U.S. Geological Survey
Click on thumbnails for 800x600 picture in
new window.
|
|
||
 Small
new hornito, informally known as a carlito, near Kiln hornito near upper
end of PKK lava tube. Such features form above a fulltube and make a
roaring noise as gas escapes through small openings in the roof of the
tube. The hot gas keeps the rock inside thecarlito incandescent. This
guy is about 1 meter high at most. |
||
 Early
dawning sky forms backdrop for breakout in west branch of PKK flow at
brink of old sea cliff above West Highcastle lava delta. Width of
breakout, about 4 meters. |
||
 Eye-level
view of pahoehoe toe in west finger of west branch. Filaments of crust
stretch around bubbles as lava oozes ahead. Toe is about 10 centimeters
high. |
||
 Incandescent
hole formed on November 30, 2004 in MLK vent, part of theAerial view
looking east across Pu`u `O`o. Kona windblows thick gas plume north from
main crater. West Gap pit also is choked with gas just west of main
crater. Red is active rock slide at headwall of Puka Nui, a large,
complex collapse area in central part of image. The individual pits have
not been named, except for Lua Hou, the tiny pit giving off narrow gas
plume near right edge of photo. Note the concentric cracks around the
larger collapse features. Lava flows in this area cover older spatter
and cinder from Pu`u `O`o, which is unstable and slowly spreading,
developing pits in the overlying flows. Yellowish slope in middle of
photo is part of Pu`u `O`o's cone that is falling apart. cluster of
vents in the MLK-June 25-Puka Nui complex at south base of Pu`u `O`o. |
||
 Geophysicists
make measurements across the roof of a lava tube leading from the
episode 51 vents. The measurements reveal the size of the tube and the
cross-sectional area of the lava stream. Together with measurements of
the speed of the lava stream, these data allow us to estimate lava
discharge from the volcano. |
||
 Lava
bubbles explode from two openings in the roof of the lava tube system on
the Kamokuna lava bench. The openings are located 10-25 m inland from
the edge of the bench. The largest bubbles tossed fragments as high as
40 m and flung ribbons of spatter several meters long that landed intact
on the bench. The bursts were accompanied by loud, chugging noises as
the lava exploded from the tube. During the activity, a steam jet (lower
right) produced a vigorous white steam plume. These explosions occur
when seawater flashes to steam within the confined space of an active
lava tube. |
||
 General
view of new Kohola ocean entry, looking east from Ka Lae`apuki, of
cascades and new flow coating beach. Sea cliff is about 10 m high. Wispy
glow near center right edge is from steam at water's edge. |
||
 Steam generated by entry of lava into water reflects incandescence and appears reddish.
|
||
 Detail
of largest breakout feeding lava into water (near right of image). Flow
is about 7 meters long. |
||
 Lobe
of lava moving along west edge of flow reached top of sea cliff and
began plunging to beach below. This image was taken several minutes
after the falls began. Liquid lava is 2-4 meters wide. |
||
 Near
view of flat toe moving across quite flat surface. Note that lava at
moving front of toe is emerging from base and cooling as it rises.
Flaming grass at front of another toe. |
||
 Lava
pours down flank of 4-m-high tumulus in old (>600 year) flow. Lava comes
from interior of Kohola flow, which banked against north side of
tumulus, inflated over the top, and now spills down steep south side.
|
||
 Pretty
Petunia skylight in roof of PKK lava tube, upper part of PKK flow. View
looks downstream. Some of the lava visible through the skylight will
eventually end up at East Lae`apuki 1-2 hr later. |
||
 View
from farther right, looking at the ever more sluggish lava falls and its
growing surface crust. |
||
 Tube-fed
pahoehoe flow from Kupaianaha crosses the highway and enters Kalapana in
1986. |
||
 Pahoehoe
toe, about 1 meter long, approaches a loose rock (lower center) on a
ledge near top of gaping crack. |
||
 The
actual breakout point, where lava wells from a lava tube and sees the
light of day for the first time in its history. |
||
 Looking west at Banana ocean entry. Lava enters the water at several places along the front of the 1.5-yr-old Wilipe`a lava delta. Note the numerous breakouts in the Banana flow on the surface of the delta. |
||
 Lava
falls. Lava hits a newly(?) forming delta, pours down it, and finally
freefalls into water. Height of falls, about 7 meters. |
||
 Slender lava falls off side of Wilipe`a delta. Wider cascade in background. Falls are 2-3 meters high. |
||
 Gush of lava comes down old sea cliff, suddenly breaking out of flow between cascades. |
||
