July 12, 2018 Aloha Oe Ahalanui-Kua O
Just in case you were wondering, the ten-week-old eruption of Kilauea Volcano is very far from over. In the past two days lava has claimed a school, a beloved beach park, dozens of homes, miles of roads, hundreds of acres of farm and ranch land. And sadly, scientists see no end to the eruption at this time. Ahalanui Beach Park (Hot Pond) and Kua O Ka La Charter School were covered by lava yesterday from the current Lower East Rift Zone eruption of Kilauea volcano. The recent overflows at the bottom of the braided channel just above Kapoho Crater drained the lava from the river below and send Pele’s hot liquid rock flowing southward. The flow moving around the crater to the south sped several miles to destroy the hot ponds and charter school yesterday afternoon. This morning she had made an enormous ocean entry just a half mile from Pohoiki. Several homes were consumed along the way. The ocean entry continues to pour lava into the ocean, with littoral explosions occurring regularly. The source of the eruption upslope is, of course Fissure 8. Fissure 8 is still very active, sending 2-thousand degree hot fluid lava downslope in rivers… to the ocean entry some eight miles below. Pele send several overflows from the river into the Leilani Estates subdivision yesterday. Most did not leave the apron of previously erupted lava… but what did burned another three houses. Leilani, Pohoiki Surfing Ducky, Special Guest Cliff Todd, Bruce Omori and I had a superb Paradise Helicopters charter this morning! Mahalo, pilot Rob Mitchell… and as always, mahalo to Paradise Helicopters for making our overflight possible!
Mahalo to Paradise Helicopters and Bruce Omori at Extreme Exposure