Five New Lava Fissures Open in Leilani Estate

Left: A new lava fissure (Fissure 2) commenced around 1:00 am HST on Kīlauea Volcano’s lower East Rift Zone on Makamae and Leilani Streets in the Leilani Estates subdivision. Spatter was being thrown roughly 30 m (about 100 ft) high at the time of this photo. Copious amounts of sulfur dioxide gas, which should be avoided, is emitted from active fissures. The eruption is dynamic and changes could occur with little warning. Right: Steaming cracks at 5:57 a.m. HST in Leilani Estates subdivision, moments before Fissure 3 opened up on Kaupili Street.

Left: Fissure 2 opened around 1:00 a.m. HST on Friday, May 4, with a small area of spattering in a residential driveway. Within an hour the spattering was more vigorous, with spatter reaching about 30 meters (100 feet). This spatter was thrown over the power lines and landed on Makamae Street. Right: Fissure 3 opened around 6:00 a.m. HST on Friday, May 4, with weak fuming from a crack on Kaupili Street. This fuming increased, as did rumbling sounds. Eventually spatter was ejected and accumulated around the fissure. Large, loud bubble bursts were common at this fissure.

Fissure 3 at Leilani and Kaupili Streets in Leilani Estates subdivision at 8:07 a.m. HST today. Lavaon the road was approximately 2 m (about 2 yd) thick.

Left: Fissure 4 opened in forest around 10:39 a.m. between Kaupili and Mohala Streets. Right:Steaming cracks on Leilani Street–view is looking up rift. Crack in foreground opened during the 12:33 p.m. magnitude 6.9 south flank of Kīlauea earthquake.

Left: Fissure 5 opened shortly before 12:00 p.m. in Leilani Estates subdivision–Leilani Street runs left to right at the bottom of the photo; Kahukai Street is the cross street. Right: Lava from Fissure 5 at 12:11 p.m., taken from similar vantage point as photo on the left.

Eruptive area showing recent fissures in Leilani Estates subdivision when photo was taken at 12:07 p.m. HST. Fissure 5 is shown in the forefront.

Another look at Fissure 5. Photo taken at 12:28 p.m. HST. Note the small finger that crossed Leilani Street (bottom right corner).

At 12:46 p.m. HST, a column of robust, reddish-brown ash plume occurred after a magnitude 6.9 South Flank of Kīlauea earthquake shook the Big Island of Hawai‘i.