Kilauea volcano, Hawai'i: lava flows 22 March 2018
The photographs presented here are taken by VolcanoDiscovery team member and geologist Dr Ingrid Smet during one of our 7 days volcano adventures on Hawaii. During a morning excursion on 22 Mar 2018 our small group found a number of active pahoehoe lava flow fronts at the bottom of the pali which they observed and photographed for 3,5 hours.
These lava flows originate from the tube system of the so-called "61g" lava flow episode of Kilauea volcano, which started in late May 2016 and fed an active ocean entry during July 2016 - Nov 2017. In the past 4 months, the lava tube has been producing surface flows of varying size above and on the pali as well as near its base. By mid March 2018 they had advanced enough to allow spectacular observations of active lava flow fronts after a relatively tough hike of ca. 3 hours across the older lava fields.
These lava flows originate from the tube system of the so-called "61g" lava flow episode of Kilauea volcano, which started in late May 2016 and fed an active ocean entry during July 2016 - Nov 2017. In the past 4 months, the lava tube has been producing surface flows of varying size above and on the pali as well as near its base. By mid March 2018 they had advanced enough to allow spectacular observations of active lava flow fronts after a relatively tough hike of ca. 3 hours across the older lava fields.
We start our hike to the active lava flow fronts at 03h00 am as their nighttime red glow makes the l... [info]
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(346 Hits)
Hiking across the vast lava flow fields below the east rift zone we slowly but surely get closer to ... [info]
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(366 Hits)
By dawn finally reach the bottom of the pali from where lava is flowing down - seemingly writing the... [info]
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(445 Hits)
Sunrise over the vast lava flow fields that have been repeatedly covering this coastal area since th... [info]
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(382 Hits)
Our small party at the active lava flow fronts! (Photo: Ingrid Smet) [info]
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(485 Hits)
The silvery, freshly cooled crust of a lava front breaks open as fresh lava pushes through (Photo: I... [info]
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Liquid lava oozing out from underneath a recently cooled crust (Photo: Ingrid Smet) [info]
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The outer surface of fresh red hot lava quickly forms a thing silvery crust, which is pushed forward... [info]
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(475 Hits)
As the thin crust is pushed forwards the shear stress ruptures the crust on the sides of the lava to... [info]
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(436 Hits)
Actively flowing pahoehoe lava fronts at the bottom of (foreground) and halfway up (background left)... [info]
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(396 Hits)
It is just fascinating to watch the ever changing patterns, textures and shapes of the advancing pah... [info]
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(617 Hits)
Thin upper crust gets crumpled and twisted whilst moving on top of the actively flowing lava, result... [info]
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(402 Hits)
Faster flowing channel of pahoehoe lava (Photo: Ingrid Smet) [info]
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(345 Hits)
Crumpled, twisted, ropey textured lava crust gets heaped up at the front of the active lava flow (Ph... [info]
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(318 Hits)
As the lava moves relatively slow, one can get as close as the heat allows to observe or photograph ... [info]
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(340 Hits)
Detail of the ropey textured crust at the lava flow front and the still liquid, red hot liquid lava ... [info]
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(621 Hits)
But as the lava is continuously moving this small 'gateway to hell' quickly collapses (Photo: Ingrid... [info]
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(366 Hits)
New break out along the edge of an actively advancing pahoehoe lava flow front (Photo: Ingrid Smet) [info]
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(322 Hits)
Active pahoehoe lava flows at the bottom of (foreground) and on (background right) the pali (Photo: ... [info]
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(284 Hits)
Getting up close to actively flowing pahoehoe lava (Photo: Ingrid Smet) [info]
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(273 Hits)
Lava toes oozing out from between just collapsed ropey lava crust (Photo: Ingrid Smet) [info]
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(343 Hits)
The continuously moving and changing lava flow front sometimes also forms more blocky, angular aa la... [info]
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(243 Hits)
Multiple lateral pahoehoe lava flows emerging from the main lava flow front (Photo: Ingrid Smet) [info]
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(215 Hits)
Fresh pahoehoe lava with silvery ropey textured crust slowly covers older aa lava (Photo: Ingrid Sme... [info]
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(227 Hits)
More rapidly flowing pahoehoe lava emerging from underneath a freshly cooled ropey crust (Photo: Ing... [info]
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(194 Hits)
Close up of red hot liquid lava flowing from underneath a recently cooled crust (Photo: Ingrid Smet) [info]
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(224 Hits)
Large ropes are formed in the thin upper crust of this lava flow (Photo: Ingrid Smet) [info]
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(284 Hits)
Detail of freshly formed silvery crust and its red hot liquid lava interior (Photo: Ingrid Smet) [info]
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(476 Hits)
Detail of red hot lava with low viscosity flowing from underneath a thin fresh crust (Photo: Ingrid ... [info]
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(182 Hits)
One can easily spend a few hours observing and photographing the everchanging front of an active lav... [info]
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(176 Hits)
A small lava breakout pushes up its crust - note the heat shimmer in the air above it (Photo: Ingrid... [info]
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(159 Hits)
Actively flowing pahoehoe lava engulfs older aa lava (Photo: Ingrid Smet) [info]
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(177 Hits)
Close up of pele's hair been formed whilst liquid lava breaks out from underneath freshly cooled cru... [info]
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(580 Hits)
Ropey textured crust flowing, turning and sliding down a hill can form beautiful textures such as th... [info]
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(165 Hits)
Multiple lobes of liquid pahoehoe lava at the front of an active lava flow (Photo: Ingrid Smet) [info]
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(160 Hits)
Advancing pahohehoe lava burns any plants that had already colonised these lava flow fields (in this... [info]
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(205 Hits)
Active pahoehoe lava flow fronts next to an older aa lava (dark brown rocks in the centre left) (Pho... [info]
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(192 Hits)
Not a single moment in the 3,5 hours that we spend with these active lava flows was boring! (Photo: ... [info]
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(171 Hits)
Flow front of an active pahoehoe lava lobe with both ropey and more blocky texture of the crust (Pho... [info]
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(162 Hits)
Lava flowing downhil from multiple outbreak points results into its quickly cooled crust rotating in... [info]
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(208 Hits)
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