Posted on: Friday, February 18, 2005
Kilauea crater's molten extravaganza 'mystical'
By Christie Wilson
Advertiser Neighbor Island Editor
Kilauea's Pu'u 'O'o crater has been spattering lava in frequent bursts in recent days, but for the most part, the spectacle has been visible only to Internet surfers via the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory's Web site. Christina Heliker • U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Geological Survey The West Highcastle ocean entry is now about 1.6 miles from the end of Chain of Craters Road, drawing a daily crowd of approximately 1,500, according to park ranger Mardie Lane. During the peak sunset viewing period, Lane said more than 150 cars are parked along the road, adding at least a mile to the one-way hike to where the lava flow empties into the sea.
"It's a mystical time, with the changing of the colors," Lane said.
She said there also are some small surface breakouts in the same area, allowing visitors a good look at oozing pahoehoe.
The second ocean entry at Ka'ili'ili is about five miles from the end of the road, and Lane advised against hiking out there. She said the heat at West Highcastle has been "stifling," with temperatures in the high 80s and low 90s. Other hazards include toxic fumes, treacherous footing and the potential for the collapse of newly created coastline.
Lane said there have been no serious incidents or injuries, except for the usual cuts and scrapes, since the ocean entries resumed Jan. 31 after a six-week hiatus.
Both ocean flows originate from a vent on the southwest flank of Pu'u 'O'o.
"It's the first lava flow out of the vents inside the crater in more than six months," Kauahi-kaua said.
Activity outside the crater increased as well, he said, with several vents erupting into dome fountains that sprayed molten rock up to 50 feet in the air at Puka Nui on the south flank of Pu'u 'O'o. The vigorous spattering was enough to destroy a nearby seismic monitoring station, he said.
Kilauea has been erupting continuously since Jan. 3, 1983.
Reach Christie Wilson at (808) 244-4880 or cwilson@honoluluadvertiser.com.
The crater is inaccessible to visitors, who instead have been flocking to the coastal area at Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park where lava has been pouring into the sea for nearly three weeks.
An almost 10-foot-high spatter cone on the west flank of Pu'u 'O'o crater in Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park is dwarfed by the majestic backdrop of snow-capped Mauna Loa. Kilauea's eruption is drawing crowds, both in the park and online.
Cones glow at the vent on the south flank of Pu'u 'O'o crater. Images can be seen on the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory's Web site.
Scientists at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory have been closely watching Pu'u 'O'o, where at least five vents inside the crater have been spattering frequently since Feb. 1, producing a bright glow on clear nights, according to scientist-in-charge Jim Kauahikaua. On Feb. 10, the activity escalated, and the East Pond vent produced a small fan of pahoehoe lava that is visible on the observatory's Web site, along with some new spatter cones.
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