VNP Update

[pisces223]

So, are the ships still cruising by to view the volcano at night even if it is not doing anything? I'll be there in about 36 days and am wondering if they are going to change the itinerary.

[SavageGirl]

I've heard that the ships are not cruising by now (but don't hold me to that!)

[kapoho2]

I saw the Pride of America cruise by our house last evening at about 8:30pm.....and heading in the direction of the volcano.

[RSWBADGER]

Chain of Craters Road reopened today. :)

 

http://www.nps.gov/havo/parknews/upload/havo_pr_20070628_roadreopens20070629.pdf

[dcikon2]

Please keep us updated on the activity at the park. We leave in 3 weeks for Hawaii and were thinking of visiting other places if the Chain of Craters Road wasn't open.

 

Gary

[sceptic]

dcikon, keep up to date with the information on the Kilauea update website:

 

http://volcano.wr.usgs.gov/hvostatus.php

 

It's updated at least daily, more often when interesting stuff is happening. There is plenty to see in the national park with or without active lava or the chain of craters road. Fortunately, it looks like the latter is open - at least for now. Keep checking it, along with the NPS website page with up-to-date closures:

http://www.nps.gov/havo/closed-areas.htm

[hansolo]

That's great news that Chain of Craters has reopened. We'll be there on Tuesday and looking forward to it. Too bad about the lava though.

[FB]

Lava returns to Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō Crater

 

The presence of new lava in the bottom of Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō crater was confirmed this afternoon by Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) scientists. When viewed at about 2 p.m. H.s.t., lava was covering fresh flows that may have erupted in the crater between 8 and 9 a.m. this morning, when first reported by local helicopter tour operators.

 

This afternoon lava was flowing across the crater floor, which sank at least 100 m during the pause over the last two weeks. The lava source was below the location of the Beehive vent. The lava flowed eastward and ponded near the crater center. Loud, gas-jetting noises could be heard associated with spattering on the crater floor.

 

The crater is still filled with fume making the new lava difficult to see.

 

There were geophysical signals that activity may have returned to Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō crater. HVO monitoring instruments detected slightly elevated seismic tremor overnight; however, the view of the crater from the Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō webcam remained obscured by fume. A University of Hawai‘i infrasound array identified signals from the Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō vicinity starting around midnight last night, suggesting a change was in the works.

 

Lava was last seen at the Poupou ocean entry on June 20, after the intrusion that started on June 17, 2007, led to a small eruption by the morning of June 19. After a similar event in late January, 1997, lava returned to Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō 23 days later and again flowed towards the ocean a few weeks after that.

 

HVO will post updates at http://volcano.wr.usgs.gov/hvostatus.php.

 

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