Yeah, they’re going to expand the “safe” area by a few hundred more meters. Really hot molten rock added to water can get you propulsive steam explosions.
This is the second, that I’m aware of, major injury from flying rocks.
It’s a fantastic scene but viewing the eruption and explosions has serious risks.
Any word on whether Lava Tree State Monument survived?
Looking at these two maps - just barely - though the acid rain and such is decimating any plant life downwind.
google map Lava Tree State Monument - Google Maps
Lava flow map from yesterday -
You can move the cursor around in the lava map and expand. Lava TSM is just NNE of the top of Leilani Estates. The Lava STM is in the closed off area as too dangerous. The flowing lava channel is just a few hundred yards away.
Thanks.
The wife and I were on the Big Island last week with some friends visiting from Thailand. We rented a house in the Kaumana area on the edge of Hilo and were fortunate in that the house was on a little hill, elevated to some extent, and we had a clear view of fissure 8 spewing lava some nights, 25 or 30 miles away. Very bright, and some nights that were cloudy the clouds were pinkish, reflecting the glow from below. It was only a two or three nights that we saw the lava spewing, as other nights there must have been some steam or mist generated to hide it. We joked then that they had turned the lava off for the night.
I think we need a “pics” rule for lava. So?
My wife was in charge of the picture taking. I’ll have to get some from her. Coming soon. But at 25 or 30 miles away, it’s more like an orange spot on the horizon rather than like the news photos. Still pretty neat.
Exactly. 
More fun is coming!
Looks like a Cat 3 hurricane will arrive near the volcano on Weds.
What more could one ask for-a major hurricane AND a violent volcano.
Wish I was there…
If you want lava pics, I recommend the USGS website.
The current track takes it south of the islands, expected to pass by midweek after maybe weakening to a tropical storm. Might get some rain out of it though.
Hurricane well south, and now the volcano is showing signs of punking out. Today USGS report shows diminished lava from the active fissure and the cyclical collapse/earthquake/build seismic activity has stalled. There was a slight increase in seismic active after the latest collapse event 3 days ago but that tapered off.
Boring here now without natural disasters dominating the local news. We have to settle for un-natural disasters like primary election season.
It’s up to 29 eruptions in 2018 now:
Since this has been bumped, I’ll point out the Kilauea eruption is officially over, now that it has gone three months without activity. However, authorities caution there have been instances in the past in which it did start up again even after three months.
Are there any current interactive satellite images? Google maps and Google Earth both show pre-lava flow images of the area around Kapoho Tide Pools.
This is probably your best bet. You can look back through the course of the latest eruptive episode as well.
Alas, not interactive.
That’s why I said “best bet”, not “exactly what you’re looking for.”
Has Kilauea stopped altogether or has it just gone back to its previous level activity?
My admittedly remote knowledge is that when Kilauea goes dark, Mauna Loa becomes more active.
ISTR reading somewhere that it’s unusually quiet- so much so, that there’s a possibility that the ongoing eruption since 1983 may actually be over.
And you’re right- one or the other of Kilauea and Mauna Loa typically is erupting at any given time.
Interestingly other volcanoes on the island aren’t dormant either- Hualālai is still considered active, even though it hasn’t erupted since 1801. (it’s near the Kona International Airport more or less) It’s expected to erupt in the next century or so.