No Significant Changes at Fissure 8 or Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō

The U.S. Geological Survey reports no recent significant changes at Fissure 8 or Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō.

The wide-angle photo below shows the Fissure 8 cone (center of image) and the long line of steaming areas extending uprift (west), towards the upper right corner of the image.

Thermal images (see inset lower left) show no signs of lava within the Fissure 8 cone—the small collapse pit in the center of the crater floor is cold. Oct. 4, 2018. Click to enlarge. PC: USGS

No significant change was observed at Fissure 8 during Thursday, Oct. 4, 2018, overflight.

A thick plume obscured views into Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō’s crater with the naked eye Thursday, but thermal images were able to see into the deep parts of the crater.

A thick plume above Fissure 8, Oct. 4, 2018. Click to enlarge. PC: USGS

The bottom of the crater appears to still be covered in collapse rubble—there were no signs of any hot material.

A large black sand beach remains at Pohoiki.

Pohoiki on Oct. 4, 2018. Click to enlarge. PC: USGS

The sand continues to block access to the boat ramp, which is just to the right of the center of the photo. The thick Fissure 8 lava flows can be seen in the lower left portion of the image above.