June 27 Lava Flow Update – 12/15/14

Monday morning’s Hawai’i County Civil Defense assessment shows that the flow front of the June 27 lava flow continues to be active.

In the past 24 hours, the flow advanced about 300 yards and is about 1.2 miles from the intersection of Highway 130 and Pahoa Village Road.

Hawaiian Volcano Observatory also was able to confirm the direction of the flow path Monday morning with webcam imagery that shows the flow on a path of steepest descent.

Officials continue to monitor the breakout from the lava tube on Dec. 5. That lobe remains about 1.6 miles from Puʻu ʻŌʻō.

Area communities are not in any immediate threat, and Civil Defense and HVO personnel will continue to monitor the flow activity closely. Both residents and businesses in the downslope areas will continue to be kept informed of any changes.

Civil Defense reported moderate smoke conditions in the immediate area Monday morning, as a light north wind is blowing smoke in a south-southeast direction. In some areas, smoke conditions have the possibility of increasing, and individuals who have a history of respiratory issues are advised to take necessary precautions and remain indoors.

HVO noted Monday that the tilt trend at Puʻu ʻŌʻō has returned to pre-rain levels and there has been no marked change. Other monitoring data also shows no indication of significant changes at Puʻu ʻŌʻō.

Kilauea’s summit has begun to experience an inflationary tilt as of 1 a.m. Monday, following a slight decrease in tilt. According to HVO officials, the summit lava lake showed the usual fluctuations associated with changed in splattering behavior, which are also manifested as variations in tremor amplitudes.