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1 July 2004
A bit of lava on Paliuli
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| Left. Trickle of lava on new fan
built against Paliuli. In foreground is flow at base of pali Paliuli
here is about 8 m high. 0547. Right. Upper incandescence
comes from mouth of small tube on fan of Paliuli. Toes below are in
lava that emerged from tube. Mouth of tube is about 1 m across.
0548. |
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| Left. Toe of lava emerging from
under crust at base of Paliuli. Gradation in color reflects
temperature. Crust forms, cools, and becomes wrinkled. Distance of
travel for lava in view, about 1 m. 0549:42. Right. Same toe
as in left image, but 58 seconds later and focused on wrinkled
crust. 0550:40. |
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| Left. First in trio of images
showing lava breaking from under crust to form toe. Cracking sounds
preceded breakout by just long enough to place camera tripod on
ground and point. Width of breakout area, about 2 m. 0615:34. Right.
Next in series of images, only 12 seconds after left image. Note how
lava has overwhelmed broken slab of crust, and how breakout has "unzippered"
toward right. 0615:46. |
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| Left. Final in series of images,
8 seconds after right image above. Most disruption caused by
breakout has ended, and lava flows quietly onto surface. 0615:54. Right.
Mouth of small lava tube (toe) in foreground, and cascade emerging
from under crust on Paliuli in background. Cascade is about 3 m
long. 0618. |
2 July 2004
Main entry area, eastern Banana delta and Banana flow
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| Left. A small burst of spatter
forms backdrop to cascades and falls of lava off point of eastern
Banana delta. Spatter was apparently expelled when water was trapped
beneath a lava stream, unfortunately hidden from view. Lava falls on
right is 2-3 m high. 0521. Right. Setting for left image.
Spatter was coming from glowing area on far side of point just left
of midpoint of image. 0530. |
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| Left. Now multiple falls drop
into the sea, as cascade above remains active. 0533. Right.
Wide view of active point on delta. Rugged tumulus near skyline
formed between Friday and Saturday mornings last week. Note black
sand beach, a common feature that forms during ocean entry by water
quenching lava into small pieces of black glass that then are
carried by currents and deposited in relatively sheltered areas.
0543. |
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| Left. Activity has changed a bit
but still resembles that earlier in morning, with lava flow or
cascades, mostly hidden by steam, and multiple lava falls (awash by
wave surge). 0556. Right. Different angle, and closer to
water level, shown that the cascade has two forks. 0606. |
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| Left. Aerial view looking up
Banana flow from entry to above Pulama pali. Banana flow is lighter
hued than older flows. It narrows just above and right of center to
series of cascades down Paliuli and, above, Pulama pali. 0839. Right.
Eastern Banana lava delta, most of which covers Wilipe`a delta of
2002. Rope barrier atop pre-Wilipe`a sea cliff crosses image from
left to right; visitor overlook is just right of image area, along
barrier. 0842. |
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| Left. Looking from helicopter
onto Paliuli, showing Banana flow just right of grassy kipuka. In
dead center is lava fan, site of images on July 1. 0845. Right.
Blue fume comes from Banana tube above Pulama pali. In distance,
large view shows small laze plume from lava delta. 0848. |
3 July 2004
Luna and lava
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| Left. Lava entering water off
point of eastern Banana delta, viewed from northeast. Same area, in
various magnifications, shown in all images today. Height of middle
lava drip, 3-4 m. 0518. Right. Point of eastern Banana
delta. Gushing right-hand entry comes from lava tube that opened at
0525, 6 minutes before this image was taken. 0531. |
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| Left. Full moon above eastern
Banana delta. Brightest entry is lava gushing from tube in above
right image. Western sky is rosy at dawn. 0536. Right. Only
12 minutes later, sky color has changed as sun is nearly up. Large
image shows than lava is no longer leaving tube, interior of which
is incandescent. 0548. |
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| Left. Long-lens view looking at
cross-section of incandescent lava tube that poured lava into water
between 0525 and 0544, 12 minutes before this image was taken. In
background is old sea cliff before Wilipe`a delta formed in summer
2002. 0556. Right. Eastern Banana delta just after sun hits
it. Note its relatively flat surface, typical of lava deltas (and
water deltas, too, for that matter). Signs are along rope barrier
atop pre-Wilipe`a sea cliff. 0614. |
4 July 2004
A pretty nice Fourth
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| Left. Two areas on eastern
Banana delta are shedding lava into the water, as seen from visitor
viewing area just northeast of delta. Largest area persisted until
after dawn, but left area--on northeast side of delta's point--caved
away several minutes after this image was taken. Height of cascades
in right area, 4-6 m. 0521. Right. About one minute after
large slab from the point broke away and fell into water. This
changed configuration to viewers' disadvantage, since lava falls
could no longer be seen off the point but instead were taking place
in reentrant left by collapse. However, initial glow from falls in
the reentrant was wonderful to see. 0523. |
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| Left. Glow at point has tamed
down, but main entry continues to drip and fall into swash zone.
Note black sand, generated by water quenching lava to brittle glass
that waves break into sand-sized pieces. 0533. Right. Now
main entry area is waning. Compare with first of today's images.
0539. |
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| Left. If you can't look east at
sunrise, look west. Sky is often prettier there, in subtle way. Main
entry area healthy again, but glow at point of delta is weak. 0546. Right.
Twelve minutes later, main entry is waning again, and point's glow
comes from lava hidden from view as result of earlier collapse.
0558. |
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| Left. Week-old tumulus (right)
dominates surface of delta. 0604. Right. Wave starting to
crash against the decidedly smaller main entry area. Such waves
disrupt the falling lava only temporarily. As soon as water
withdraws, lava breaks through water-quenched skin and shows itself.
0610. |
5 July 2004
From rose to gold
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| Left. Lava stream pours off
front of eastern Banana delta, View looks east toward Lae`apuki.
0523. Right. Golden glow cast by rising sun sets scene for
lava stream at front of Banana delta. 0547. |
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| Left. Golden sunrise continues,
as laze plume lofts off entry point. 0602. Right. Part of
eastern Banana lava delta, with puffs of laze (a witches's brew of
steam mixed with hydrochloric acid droplets and tiny bits of glass)
rising where hot rock and lava contacts water. Golden sunrise glow
gives image a sepia appearance. 0603. |
6 July 2004
Nice, calm morning at Banana delta
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| Left. Small ocean entries of
lava create glow that nearly matches the color of the predawn sky in
this view that looks across eastern Banana delta. 0519. Right.
Fourteen minutes later, entry remains about the same but lightening
sky creates mismatch in colors. Boat cruises back and forth past
entry. 0533. |
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| Left. Glow and laze create
ethereal view of eastern Banana lava delta. 0525. Right.
Similar view, but the ethereal has given way to the mundane. 0537. |
7 July 2004
Views from visitor overlook
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| Left. Multiple streams of lava
pour into Pacific near point of eastern Banana delta. 0532. Right.
Twelve minutes later, one entry has vanished and details of others
have changed. 0544. |
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| Left. Particularly narrow stream
of lava drops 3-4 m into water. Note flying incandescent spatter
from explosions at point of delta. 0550. Right. Long-lens vies
of largest entry, which started to gush strongly several minutes
earlier. High swell today is evident as wave prepares to crash
against lava. 0607. |
8 July 2004
Lava and people, as seen from visitor overlook
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| Left. This morning several
streams of lava are entering ocean along northeastern front of
eastern Banana delta. Streams are moderately vigorous and cast
strong reflections in the water. 0520. Right. Three entry
clusters create glow and reflections. 0522. |
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| Left. Lone fisherman takes time
to video entries. He motors up current (left), then drifts in to
this position...over and over and over. 0532. Right. The
next cycle. 0539. |
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| Left. The Banana entry is in the
other direction, but this sunrise couldn't be passed up. Sun has
just risen to left over rocky foreground. 0555. Right. This
is disaster waiting to happen. Note steaming rocks directly below
the two gentlemen, who ventured far beyond the park's barrier to
test fate at the edge of the Banana entry. Clouds of laze billow up
just behind them; luckily the wind didn't change direction when they
were there. A large wave could have washed scalding water across
them, part of the delta they are standing on could have collapsed
suddenly, or another part could have collapsed and created a wave large enough to
engulf them. Four people have been killed along lava deltas by just
such sudden events. |
9 July 2004
Reflections, flows, and stately lava falls
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| Left. Nice reflections from lava
cascades off side of eastern Banana delta. 0521. Right. Same
area as in left image, but 28 minutes later and showing mildly
explosive activity off point of delta. Note how much the entries
have changed in detail. 0549. |
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| Left. Part of eastern Banana
delta, showing tiny lava flow nearing beach and steaming hot rocks
stranded on beach. 0550. Right. Stately, slender lava falls
show off at same area as in upper two images today. Height of falls,
4-5 m. 0559. |
10 July 2004
Small collapse of delta as viewed from visitor viewpoint
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| Left. Stream of lava pours from
high on eastern Banana delta and joins other ocean entries. Largest
area of lava near left edge of image collapsed later, as shown
below. Total relief in image, about 10 m. 0541. Right.
Overview of active part of eastern Banana delta. Stream of lava is
mostly obscured by laze. Leftmost incandescent area nearest camera
is site of collapse shown below. 0544. |
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| Left. Scene of collapse area
about 10 seconds before collapse started. Before next image,
photographer panned to left to capture activity at far point.
0549:20. Right. Collapse has just started. Block is falling
off area shown on left side of left image, exposing lava-filled
interior of delta. 0549:34. |
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| Left. Ten seconds later, block
in right image above has disappeared and other smaller blocks are
falling. 0549:44. Right. Camera has panned right from left
image, and, 12 seconds later, show seems over. But wait, there's
more! Note that stately lava falls continue to show off. 0549:56. |
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| Left. Only 4 seconds later, slab
containing the two stately falls in right image above is slipping
off, and the falls are cattiwompus (to put it scientifically), not
vertical, as they are carried down by the tilting slab. Notice how
lava is being tossed up from behind disintegrating slab. Collapse
was greeted with oohs, ahhs, and applause from assembled viewers.
0550:00. Right. Sixteen seconds later, the show is indeed
over. (One out-of-focus image, taken at 0550:08, shows nothing but
steam obscuring the disappeared slab.) Lava gushes from interior of
delta, but no more collapses took place. Activity such as this
continued for several minutes before supply of stored lava dwindled
and entry took on a more normal appearance. 0550:16. |
11 July 2004
Gentle morning at eastern Banana lava delta
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| Left. Wave prepares to crash
against two lava streams near point on eastern Banana delta. 0552. Right.
Sun lights water and small lava streams near point on delta. 0606. |
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| Left. Same area as in upper
right image, showing lava in background through laze. 0609. Right.
Wide-angle view from point of Banana delta to edge of visitor
viewing area, taken from a point within viewing area. Prominent
cliff is old sea cliff before Wilipe`a delta built out from it in
2002. Lava from current Banana flow covered much of Wilipe`a delta
and finally built outward from the older delta, to form a new one.
Former seaward margin of Wilipe`a delta has been almost obscured in
most places by the younger Banana lava. Black sand beach has been
built during past two years of activity at Wilipe`a, Banana, and
other lava deltas. 0616. |
12 July 2004
Predawn and after dawn at eastern Banana lava delta
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| Left. Predawn glow from several
small ocean entries just south of point on eastern Banana lava
delta. 0518. Right. Small lava stream halfway between point
on delta and northeastern black sand beach. Stream was active only
briefly, from about 0545 to about 0610. 0606. |
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| Left. Several narrow streams
pour from gushing lava tube near point of Banana delta. 0609. Right.
Tour helicopter watches entry in left image. 0614. |
13 July 2004
High surf and many entries at eastern Banana lava delta
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| Left. Lava pours of point of
eastern Banana delta. Note skewed trajectories of falls, which
reflect exit directions from feeding tubes. 0529. Right.
Multiple entries along northeastern side of delta, viewed from
visitor overlook. Some entries are near where delta reaches seaward
from new beach. Delta in this area has thickened considerably in
past 24 hours owing to breakouts and inflation. 0533. |
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| Left. Another view of lava falls
at point of delta, as water rushes out after large wave crashed
ashore. 0538. Right. View of largest falls in left image,
after water has receded. Falls is building mound of lava on beach in
swash zone. This is part of process of seaward growth of delta.
0540. |
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| Left. Eleven minutes after right
image above was taken, new stream of lava is just starting to fall
into water farther right than older falls. 0551. Right.
Two minutes later, now stream has developed second branch near falls, and
broad cascade 2-3 m wide drops to water. 0553. |
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| Left. Dawn view of delta, with
fewer active entries than in view at 0533. 0557. Right.
Closer view of three small entries, slopping onto beach in swash
zone with laze lofting off delta. 0558. |
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| Left. Sun's up, and so's surf.
Wave prepares to crash against point of delta. 0613. Right.
Wave sweeps toward delta. High surf warning was declared last night
for this area, and it proved out. 0615. |
14 July 2004
Weak activity at point of eastern Banana lava delta
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| Left. Point on eastern Banana
lava delta continues its seaward growth. Even with weak activity,
slowly but surely the point reaches farther out. 0544. Right.
Single stream emerges from small tube and courses down to water.
0555. |
15 July 2004
Seafloor lava flow from point of eastern Banana lava delta
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| Left. Glow extends along line
from point of eastern Banana lava delta (right) for several tens of
meters. It comes from a narrow lava flow on the seafloor, fed by an
ocean entry hidden by glow at point. Seafloor flow is visible only
as water level drops between waves. 0530. Right. Same scene
as at left, but now a small explosion is taking place from seafloor
flow. Water trapped by a toe of the flow heats to steam and blasts
through its molten trap. 0532. |
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| Left. Same scene as above, but
light now shows ragged top of seafloor flow. Note that all four
images today were taken from same location at same magnification.
0559. Right. After sunup, seafloor flow is nicely visible
during receding water. Note gush of lava now pouring off point.
0616. |
Map of flows from Pu`u `O`o: 21 May 2004
Map shows lava flows erupted during 1983-present activity of Pu`u `O`o
and Kupaianaha (see
large map).
Shades of red denote Mother's Day flow, which began erupting on
May 12, 2002 and continues to the present. Darkest shade indicates lava
flows erupted in November 2003-21 May 2004, including the labeled Banana
flow, which developed gradually starting in the middle of April. Yellow stars indicate
centers of formerly active, but now dead, rootless shields built along lava tube in
Mother's Day flow. Yellow shade indicates Kuhio (Prince Kuhio
Kalaniana`ole) flow, active most of the time from March 20 to May 21. As of
May 21,
most activity was located south of the rootless shield complex in the
Banana flow,
fed by the Banana branch of the Mother's Day tube. The Kuhio flow
remains active, too.
Through September and into early October 2003, lava was moving along
the east and west sides of the Mother's Day flow. The east-side lava
(known as the August 9 breakout) came from the August 9 rootless shield,
itself fed by the main Mother's Day tube from Pu`u `O`o. The west side
lava, known as the Kohola arm of the Mother's Day flow, branched off the
tube system below the rootless shield.
In early October 2003, the August 9 breakout stopped moving, the Kohola
died back to a trickle, and the one labeled rootless shield gained
prominence. By October 16, however, the shield had partly collapsed,
leaving several drained perched ponds behind. Upstream from the shield,
many hornitos and small flows formed over the Mother's Day tube. Soon
thereafter, other rootless shields began to form over the Mother's Day,
August 9, and Kohola tubes.
New vents opened at the southern base of Pu`u `O`o on January 19 and
fed Martin Luther King (MLK) flows, which remained active until March 5.
Several small vents formed during this time. On March 20, Prince Kuhio
Kalaniana`ole (PKK) flow originated from two vents, main one about 250 m
south of base of Pu`u `O`o. This flow has remained active most of the
time to the May 21 date of this map.
The Banana flow developed from breakouts from the Mother's Day lava
tube, centered near the former Banana Tree kipuka. The breakouts become
prominent in the middle of April, and lava started down Pulama pali
shortly thereafter. This is the time that we assigned the name Banana to
the flow.
Vents in West Gap Pit became active in early October, were quiet for
3 weeks, and then resumed intermittent activity that continued well into
December. Other vents were also sporadically active in Puka Nui (near West Gap Pit)
and in the crater of Pu`u `O`o.
Map of Pu`u `O`o and vicinity: 9 April 2004
Map shows vents, lava flows, and other features near Pu`u `O`o frequently referred to in updates (see
large map). These features change often, but this map should help
those viewers lost in the terminology. The cones in West Gap are just
outside the boundary of the crater--the oval shaped depression
containing the seven numbered vents (now down to 6, as Humble Vent has
been buried by a mound of lava flows erupted from Dave's Pit/Vent in
March. Red color denotes flows--the
Mother's Day flows--erupted since May 12, 2002. Light orange color indicates
episode-55 flows erupted between March 1997 and August 2002 (exclusive
of Mother's Day flows). Darker orange represents MLK flows, and yellow,
PKK flow. Vents for these two sets of flows shown by indicated symbols. Gray shows flows of earlier episodes.
Eruption-viewing opportunities change constantly, refer to the HVO home page for
current information. Those readers planning a visit to Kilauea or Mauna Loa volcanoes can get much useful
information from Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park.
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