Photo & Video Chronology - Kilauea Archive

16 June 2004

Sunrise and boat watch ocean entries

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Left. Sunrise over lava deltas. Nearest glow comes from lava entering water at southwest end of western delta. In background are entries off eastern lava delta. 0511. Right. Tighter view of eastern image. Glow comes from southwestern end of western lava delta. 0519.

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Left. Acidic steam rising from entries in upper left image mostly obscures glow, but large image shows small lava falls off eastern delta. Note two photographers standing on top of old sea cliff at left edge of image (visible in large image only). 0527. Right. Looking southwest as lava battling surf at southwest end of western lava delta. Widest lava stream is about 2 m across. 0549.

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Left. Lone boatsman videoing lava entry at end of western lava delta. This boat, with or without passengers, is a frequent observer of the entries. 0552. Right. Similar to right image above, as wave curls toward point. 0601.

17 June 2004

Lava at sea and on land

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Left. Southwest end of west lava delta before its partial collapse. Boat in background is same one seen later this morning. 0524. Right. About 30 seconds after collapse of front of delta. Image taken from within 1 m of site of left image but at different magnification. Note overhanging part of front, which itself collapsed a few seconds later. Lava has not yet started pouring out of the collapse scar. 0527:32.

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Left. Fifty-one seconds later, lava is gushing from collapse scar. Gushing began after overhanging part of front tipped and fell into the sea. 0528:23. Right. Lava gushing continues 25 seconds later in this tighter view. 0528:48.

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Left. Gushing is waning 33 seconds later, and distinct streams of lava drop into water. 0529:21 Right. Streams have now, 1 min 17 sec later, coalesced into one lava falls after more collapse of delta front. Falls is about 1 m wide at narrowest point. 0530:38.

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Left. Looking southwest along front of east lava delta. Big bay developed by multiple collapses yesterday evening. Compare with image taken at 0633 June 13. Thick steam plume rises from shoreline of this bay, where hot interior of delta is now exposed to surf. Fishing boat gives scale. 0617. Right. Lava entering water at point on east delta. 0619.

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Left. Lava tongue moving between end of visitor trail and rope barrier above Wilipe`a delta. Width of moving lava, about 1 m. 0655. Right. They're comin' to get us...or so it looks as octopus-like arms reach out toward observers. 0656.

18 June 2004

Reflections and sunrise

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Left. Two cascades of lava drop into swash zone at southwest end of western lava delta. Height of cascades in image, 1.5 m. 0532. Right. Wider view of cascades, when water is inundating their base and reflecting glow. 0533.

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Left. Several other breakouts have joined the two in upper images, as entry is everchanging. Maximum relief shown in image, 8 m. 0547. Right. The entry has tamed a bit, as sunrise colors the sky. 0553.

19 June 2004

West lava delta

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Left. Lava pours into water off southwest end of west lava delta. Height of lava falls, 3-4 m. 0515. Right. Same area as in left image, in wider view showing Lae`apuki in distance. 0525.

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Left. Boat for scale in image similar to right above. 0527. Right. Lava falls, dripping at times, builds rocky mound. Note water of previous wave dripping from walls and roof of grotto. 0541.

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Left. Looking southwest at new point on west lava delta. Nearly vertical rock estimated to be 4-5 m tall looms over point. In distance is southwest end of delta, show in upper four images. 0551. Right. Closer view of point and rock slab. Don't bet on this pillar surviving for long. 0555.

21 June 2004

Summer Solstice at the entry

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Left. Breakouts on surface of eastern lava delta, with glow reflected by laze plume from multiple entries. Width of view, 200-250 m at edge of delta. 0513. Right. Closer view of same scene. Note open channeled breakout, which is pouring directly into the water behind low rise. 0519.

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Left. Eastern sky starting to brighten behind laze cloud rising from entries along front of eastern delta. Incandescent breakouts dot surface of delta. 0533. Right. Weak activity off middle part of western lava delta. Small breakout in progress atop new delta, and graceful lava stream pours into swash zone. 0543.

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Left. Closer view of lava falls in right image above. Lava temporarily piles up on beach but is washed aside by each wave. Elephant trunk records position of former falls; water quenched lava in falls, creating hollow casing. These features are seldom preserved more than a few minutes. Right image above shows small drip of lava emerging from the trunk (visible in large image). Height of active falls, 3 m. 0544. Right. Looking east through heavy steam at small lava drizzle off southwest end of west delta. Height of falls, about 2 m. 0603.

22 June 2004

Glow, sunrise, collapse, and blue fume

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Left. Glow at seaward edge of eastern Banana delta, looking east into gradually lightening sky. In large view, Venus is visible in upper right; see it? Several entries contribute to the glow, which is reflected by plumes of laze (lava haze) that rise from contact of lava with water. 0508. Right. Closer view of right end of delta in left view. 0509.

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Left. Long-lens view of entry area in above right, showing multiple entries off delta. Bluff to left is same as that hown in lower central part of right image; it is on inactive front of eastern delta. 0515. Right. Perspective of southwestern part of eastern delta, inactive surface of which forms foreground. Much later than this, dawn becomes too bright for glow to be seen. 0525.

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Left. But, "There's beauty in the sunrise in the sky" (Bob Dylan, from Tomorrow is a Long Time). View from same location as all images above. 0530. Right. Dawn's early color goes quickly, already fading in this scene 2 minutes after left image. 0532.

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Left. Rocks projecting above water are all that remain of collapsed point on western lava delta. New point is under construction, but lava flux is low and point may be stillborn. 0545. Right. Blue fume rises from Banana tube on coastal flat just back from old sea cliff bounding Wilipe`a lava delta. The tube supplies lava to the active eastern Banana delta. The fume rises from a linear zone about 90 m long; several cracks in the zone are incandescent at a depth of 30 cm, heated by flowing lava below. 0602.

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.