March 17, 2016 Plenty Lava Flows
We were able to access over the flow field this morning in spite of low lying clouds which forced us to ascend up the Pahoa flows from 2014. Special guest, Nastassia Hill, Bruce Omori, Leilani, Lava Ducky and I once again were guided safely through the clouds by Paradise Helicopters’ expert pilot, Ryan Moeller. Most of the activity this morning was again confined to the north forest, which continues to burn over an even broader area up to about 4 1/2 miles from the Pu’u ‘O’o vent. More than a half dozen separate entries were observed in the forest over a three mile span. We were unable, however to access the vent or the lava lake on the western end due to the weather. Most of the skylights… windows, or breaks in the lava tube on the north flank of the vent were also hidden by smoke and steam, but the lowest one again revealed a rushing river of lava below. Forest activity is now within a couple miles of the closest infrastructure, but is only marginally moving in that direction. Pele is not threatening any communities at this time. Pu’u ‘O’o’s plume was blowing strongly toward the south today. Skies in east Hawaii were mostly cloudy and rainy, but most of the vog had abated.
Mahalo to Paradise Helicopters and Bruce Omori at Extreme Exposure