Saturday, October 3, 2009

Heavy Rains Abate – Halema'uma'u Crater Vent Dims – Large Lava Plume at Ocean

A wide and powerful plume of steam and sulfur dioxide is billowing into the leftover rain clouds this morning, as viewed from my home eighteen miles away. I would guess this is a result of more lava coming down under higher inflation - pressure generated from the Kilauea Volcano and pouring out onto the widening new lava bench at the shoreline. I will go take a closer look tonight and report here tomorrow morning on this.

The view from my home here at the easterly tip of the Big Island of the lava plume, or anything else, has been obscured for nearly two days because of waves of heavy rains pushed at times by some gusty winds and cooler temperatures—Almost like the first wave of a Hawaiian autumn!
… Until this morning —Rains have ceased (for now), and there are some patches of blue poking through, and the choppy seas are settling down.

The volcanologists up on the rim of Halema'uma'u Crater are reporting that a partial collapse of more of the edge of the expanding vent on the craters floor has caused a reduction in the vent de-gassing fumes and also created less glow at night coming from the pool of lava deep within the vent hole. The broiling pond of lava rises up and down as well, and is currently down.

I am curious if the large surface flows of lava we witnessed a few days ago are continuing... I will go take a look tonight at that too If the rains stay away for awhil longer.

1 comment:

  1. It is really a beautiful day today, although the humidity is high. I wonder if the rain will be back tonite?

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