Volcano Overflight: Lava Lake Exposed

Video” Jake Shimabukuro’s”Galloping Seahorses” from the album “NASHVILLE SESSIONS”
on JS Records (used with permission).

“What a gorgeous morning!” said Tropical Visions Video photographer and videographer Mick Kalber about Paradise Helicopters’ April 20, 2017, overflight.

“Breathtaking lava lake spatter… ropey pahoehoe flows… blistering ocean entry lava… galloping seahorses… brand new black sand beaches… shatter rings… and much, much more, as the world’s most active volcano creates the newest land on earth!” Kalber exclaimed.

Kalber and the crew experienced very unusual winds, which allowed the plume from Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō to go straight up before heading south, while the ocean entry plume was headed east-northeast, directly over Kalapana and curling around to Pāhoa.

“The lack of steam and vog at the vent left the lake exposed and the activity there was breathtaking!” said Kalber.

“The 61g surface flows are still slowly moving toward the Pali… numerous small outbreaks we call nosebleeds are making their way toward the steep downslope,” said Kalber. “Pele’s molten lava continues to pour into the ocean at Kamokuna and dozens of lava rivulets are now creating a new lava bench.

The crew saw no sizable outbreaks on the coastal flats, but there may well be a few here and there.

Interestingly, two large columns of lava have been left standing off the coast over a mile to the south of the ocean entry and another quarter- mile from that is a shatter ring located right near the coast, Kalber added.