Scientists tracking new Kilauea lava flow (Volcano, Pahoa: lawsuits, gas, money)

[OpenD]

Civil Defense alert for Saturday 11/1 at 8 am - For another day the flow front has not advanced.

Eruption Information Update For Saturday November 1st At 8:00AM.

This is an eruption and lava flow Information Update for Saturday November 1st at 8:00AM

This morning’s assessment shows that the flow front remains active however has not advanced since yesterday. All activity along the front has been limited to breakouts along the margins or sides of the flow as well as on the flow surface. The front remains approximately 480 feet from the Pahoa Village Road. Additional breakouts upslope of the flow front are being monitored and those breakouts currently do not present with an immediate threat to area residents.

Smoke conditions were light to moderate with moderate trade winds from the northeast pushing the smoke in a south southwest direction. Smoke conditions may increase in some areas and residents down wind that may be sensitive or have respiratory problems are advised to take necessary precautions and to remain indoors.

Based on the current flow location, direction and advancement, residents in the flow path were placed on an evacuation advisory and notified of possible need for evacuation. The evacuation advisory for those residents down slope of the flow will continue and residents will be kept informed of the flow status and advancement.

The Pahoa Village Road between Apa’a Street and the Post Office Road will remain closed and limited to area residents only. Motorist should use caution and slow down on Highway 130 near the Post Office Road intersection. Residents of the restricted area should not bring unauthorized persons into the restricted area. In addition, Civil Defense and public safety personnel will be operating in the area round the clock to maintain close observations of flow activity. Additional updates will be broadcasted as conditions change.

County of Hawaii - Civil Defense Alerts and Information

[OpenD]

The HVO Kilauea Status Report today, 11/1 is characteristically dry and without bold predictions, but it seems to indicate to me that after a few days of the front being stalled, the lava supply is beginning to build up again at the top in a cycle that has become familiar. And the breakouts and general widening of the flow are becoming a concern. Notice that one break is growing ever closer to the Transfer Station, while the other side could yet become a problem for Kaohe Homesteads. The very thin profile of the recent advance toward Pahoa Village Road could prove to be misleading, and the hope that it might poke a narrow hole through the village might only be a temporary situation. Now you can see why they've pulled back on the projections, because the situation is too complex to predict.

Activity Summary: Kīlauea continued to erupt at its summit and within its East Rift Zone, and gas emissions remained elevated. As of Saturday morning, the leading edge of the June 27th lava flow remained stalled in a residential area approximately 155 meters (170 yards) above Pāhoa Village Road. Areas behind the lava flow's leading edge continue to issue scattered breakouts of molten lava; such breakouts have increased the overall width of the flow by an estimated 20 m (22 yards), at a distance of roughly 200 m (220 yards) behind the leading edge. DI deflation at Kīlauea's summit turned around and the inflationary stage of this DI cycle began in the late afternoon of October 31. Although minor fluctuations in lake level were observed overnight via the webcams, the level of the summit lava lake has remained low compared to observations made earlier this week, prior to the DI.

June 27th Lava Flow Observations: HVO scientists continued monitoring the distal end of the June 27th lava flow throughout Friday and into Saturday morning. There was also an HVO overflight on Friday morning. The leading edge of the flow has not advanced, although scattered breakouts have been observed in numerous areas behind the stalled flow front. The lobe that extended from just downslope of the Pāhoa cemetery and had reached private property on Friday afternoon continued to advance by about 5 meters (6 yards) per hour overnight. Additional breakouts in the pasture along the flow's southeast (Kalapana) side have been particularly active overnight, advancing during Saturday's early-morning hours at rates up to roughly 10 meters (11 yards) per hour. Of note from the HVO overflight on Friday, breakouts from the flow near the north edge of Kaohe Homesteads have extended the flow there by an estimated 350 meters (~380 yards).

HVO Kilauea Status

[OpenD]

Dramatic HVO Photos from 10/31 shows the outbreak which is now approaching the Transfer Station... it's only about 50 yards away by all appearances, and the other shows what the lava flow looks like as it moves into the Pahoa Village area, consuming metal fencing and vegetation with impunity. Follow the link to see many more.





HVO Photos & Video

[Sherwoody]

So in this photo, is the berm visible the original berm or a new berm?

[Sherwoody]

Originally Posted by OpenD

Oh, and McFrosty... this is what happens when an unstoppable force meets an unmovable object... the lava is inflating higher than the top of the berm.

See more photos at the link.

I'm confused. You all are saying this is Mr. Lee's berm? I think it is one of the berms on the side of the flow, here:



Which is it?

[OpenD]

Originally Posted by Sherwoody

I'm confused. You all are saying this is Mr. Lee's berm? I think it is one of the berms on the side of the flow, here:

I think you are right, and I hereby award you the CDF Lava Flow Eagle Eye award.

The confusion seems to have arisen because they are all Mr. Lee's berms, and on Thursday when HVO labeled the photo of the lava inflating over the berm they captioned the photo as follows, without specifying which one they were talking about.

The June 27th lava flow came into contact and inflated against an artificial berm on private property on Thursday afternoon. Note that the flow has inflated to a level much higher than that of the berm.

I think it also answers the questions raised earlier about why the height of the berm didn't seem like 12'. In this case, it wasn't!!

[Sherwoody]

I see heavy equipment on the neighbors property also, so perhaps they made the berms on their side. In any case, I applaud all the berm builders. At this point they seem to be working. If the flow stays low and slow, they all may very well save some of the structures. If the flow increases and inundates the whole area well at least they tried.

[OpenD]

HVO Map for 11/1 shows the stalled front. and the multiple breakouts on the sides. The "kipuka" mentioned in the text is a clear area, completely surround by lava.

The dominant breakout is that northeast of the Pāhoa cemetery. This breakout reconnected with the north edge of the flow on private land farther downslope, forming a kipuka. The breakout near the transfer station was also active, but had slowed considerably. The leading edge of the flow has not advanced since Thursday, October 30, 2014

HVO Maps

[McFrostyJ]

At 2:25 of this video, you will get a good view of the two berms that were built.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9MfvSODhF0#t=146

[OpenD]

Thanks, J... very interesting.

Two questions I had answered by that video...

1) All the berms R owned by Mr. Lee. I count 3. He has more property than previously realized. And he has also dug ditches, which are harder to see, hopefully to direct the flow. He's a contractor, so that's why he has access to all that heavy equipment to push dirt around with. And he's moving his old cars and empty propane tanks up to higher ground.

2) The Inflation cycle started up again Friday, and the woman from HVO said that the new push at the front after a Stall caused by Deflation usually happens 2 -3 days later, so I'm thinking today or tomorrow we're likely to see more forward movement.