August 16, 2018 New Black Sand Beaches
Dozens of brand new black sand beaches have appeared all along the southeast coast of the eruption site… even as far down as Mackenzie State Park. Several have popped up on both sides of the initial ocean entry at Mackenzie… and the black sand beach at Pohoiki continues to grow daily. Very little lava is still entering the water now, but there will no doubt continue to be a shifting of sands for quite some time to come. Pohoiki’s boat ramp is inaccessible due to the large sand bar that blocks the entrance… OTOH, there is a lovely surf break in Pohoiki Bay now! Very few lava fingers appeared active up the coast, and none near Pohoiki’s Issac Hale Beach Park.
Pele’s lava is barely visible off and on in the bottom of a crusted over lava lake. Fissure 8’s cone is enormous, exposing red and black cinders on the walls, and degassing only way on the west end. No lava activity was spotted anywhere on the flow field… the river channel remaining crusted over and not moving at all. Air throughout the eruption area continues to be vastly improved, as the gases have diminished significantly. Tomorrow makes two weeks since the eruption went into a pause… or lull, as scientists call it. Maybe she will reactivate, but the lack of seismicity both at the summit and the lower east rift zone seem to belie that possibility. After 106 days of absolutely surreal, devastating eruptive activity, let’s hope Pele continues to slumber… enough already!
Leilani, Deputy Ducky, Bruce Omori and I were back in the air with Paradise Helicopters pilot Rob Mitchell. Paradise Helicopters and Rob… it just doesn’t get any better! Mahalo plenny!
Mahalo to Paradise Helicopters and Bruce Omori at Extreme Exposure