April 21, 2016 Pele Performs
Cloudy skies and occasional rain showers couldn’t deter us from visiting the entire flow field this morning. Activity has picked up considerably compared to a week ago… numerous outbreaks throughout the flow field demonstrated what the USGS describes as a leaky tube system. Lava is being delivered through the lava tubes to the northeast from 1.5 to 3.5 miles from the Pu’u ‘O’o vent. Several forest entries to the north burn slowly, expanding the margins of the flow feel bit by bit. We were able to access the Pu’u ‘O’o vent, and observed the weakly active spattering lava lake on the western end. Skylights on the north flank reveal the steady supply of lava downslope. Leilani the Hula Girl and Lava Ducky were both on board, along with special guest, Karen L. Messick. Bruce Omori and I joined outstanding Paradise Helicopters’ pilot, Ryan Moeller. All activity remains about two miles away from the closest infrastructure, and is not threatening any communities at this time. No lava was evident toward east, anywhere near the crack that carried lava downslope to Pahoa some 18 months ago. Pu’u ‘O’o’s plume was blowing strongly toward the south today. Skies in east Hawaii were mostly cloudy today, with light rain showers and wonderfully clean air.
Mahalo to Paradise Helicopters and Bruce Omori at Extreme Exposure