Sunday, February 26, 2012

Video of Pulama Pali lava rivers, a`a and pahoehoe

This two-minute video is what I shot on February 24th, 2012, as detailed in yesterday's posting
The gushing rivers are from a rupture in the lava tube feeding the flow front, which is a mile further down the pali from here. Lava is being feed from the Pu`u O`o Crater located four miles to the northwest; Kilauea Volcano's most active eruption source since 1983.
Click on the 'Tube' of YouTube on the bottom right to watch this in larger sizes on their site.

The a`a lava is that rough jagged stuff that crashes itself down the mountain. At the end of the vid are a few slow breaking pahoehoe toes, as they are termed. Those silver-gray lava forms were just cooling and soon after filming they burst alive again as surface lava.
Lava tube rupture forks out the top at rapid speed.

This lava is still over two miles from the open ocean, and does not threaten any homes at this time, though Jack Thompson, whose home is within the tattered fragments of what was once the Royal Gardens subdivision, does have reason to be concerned because there are sprawling breakouts of surface lava above his forest kipuka. It is too early to gauge if that more westerly branch of this large flow field will move down into Jack's area. Forests are burning adjacent to the east, and far above, his place now though.

5 comments:

  1. What a beautiful film, Leigh! Nature at its most powerful. I hope Jack's house will be spared, though.

    Jackie Harris

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  2. Stunning video. Want to thank you for keeping people posted on the lava flows. I check daily, now that I found your blog. Posted to Facebook too! Stay safe, please.

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  3. You risk you life to keep us lava nuts happy. A big mahalo nui loa for that! Your work is always stunning.

    Erlinda

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  4. Awesome coverage Leigh. Miss being in the presence of Pele and trekking along side her. I shall be out again soon. In the mean time been exploring over other sacred grounds and connecting to the land where once my ancestors roamed.....I feel they are calling be back to pele's theatre once again. See you soon

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  5. Thank you for this video. My friend and I flew over this flow that day (2/24/2012) in a "doors-off" helicopter with Paradise Helicopters. What we experienced and saw as we flew over was more awesome than we could have imagined or even described. Your footage shows it beautifully and amazingly!!!

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