September thins lava-trek crowds
By Hugh Clark
Advertiser Big Island Bureau
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| Lava continued flowing into the ocean in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park yesterday but the flow-watching visitors have tapered off with the end of summer vacation. Monday's crowd was less than half that of recent weeks.
Associated Press |
Lava poured across the western end of the Chain of Craters Road yesterday, leading park workers to move barricades about a quarter-mile up the road, said spokeswoman Mardie Lane. A five- or 10-minute walk was all that was needed for visitors to get a close-up look at molten lava streaming into the ocean or oozing on the surface.
Lava from Kilauea's Pu'u 'O'o vent has been nibbling away at the Chain of Craters Road since the eruption began in 1983. Although flows have been accessible at various times during the long eruption, a new breakout in July brought the lava closer to the western end of the road than it has been in years.
• For daily updates on the Kilauea lava flow, check the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory Web site.
Lane said about 1,350 people visited the spectacle Monday — far short of last month's peak of 3,000 to 4,000 visitors a day.
Volcano updates
A heavy plume of volcanic gases and steam was reported over the area yesterday, representing a danger to visitors susceptible to health problems, she said.
The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory reported yesterday that a 165-foot-wide flow has been building up the Wilipe'a lava bench that extends an estimated 83 feet seaward. The bench, which is 1,220 feet wide, is unstable and could break off at any time, Lane said.
