Kilauea Volcano News and Updates: Lava Persists from the East Rift Zone Extending Towards Hawaiian Ocean
A Timeline of Kilauea Volcanic Activities Since March 2016
Many were in awe when lava flow was observed seeping into the Pacific Ocean Tuesday. Although it sounds dangerous, quite a number of tourists still flocked to the Volcanoes National Park to witness the sight and the sound created by the magma when it intermittently "kisses" the sea. Visitors get to watch how the salty water reacts to the fume from the lava where vapor and lumps of blazing molten rock fragments is observed.
Pablo Aguayo, a tourist from Santiago, Chile told Phys.org how amazing the site is especially when amid darkness, one "[starts] in the middle of the ocean" and "[ends] up in [the] beautiful lava falls."
How did the lava reach the sea?
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On March 2016, reports from Volcano Discovery confirms that lava flow from the volcano's crater is still inactive. But lava within the complex still remained inaccessible for nearby communities.
But when the month of May came, there were two significant magma breakouts found 500 meters North and North East from the volcano. Despite this, it still was not posed as "dangerous" to the nearest resident area.
On May 29, Paradise Helicopters released a remarkable aerial video, showing the amount of lava dripping out from the Kilauea complex.
Barely a month after this, the lava arena vanished. However, a newfound lava stream was extending towards the ocean. The length of the flow was recorded at around 3.3 kilometers (or 2.1 miles) long. The stretch is moving at an average of 250 meters per day.
Since then, images and accounts of the lava flow is recorded online. Filmmaker Michael Dalton was able to take pictures of the stream sliding down to pali and touching the coastal plain.
It didn't take long when the lava finally reached the coastal plain. Everyone was guessing when it will reach the sea by following the updates recorded by Dalton for the month of July.
Adventurous souls witness the stream
When you have the means to travel and a daring spirit to boot, here's what you can do:
You can reach the location by air or sea, using a personal boat or a helicopter. If you wish to go by land, you need to hike around 10 miles to reach the entry point since the area is enclosed with a great stretch of molten rock. It's all for adventure and for an unforgettable, bold and ultra-unique album of pictures similar to those taken by Allison Teal:
