Maunaloa volcano update: eruption has not shown significant changes, flow front 3 km to reach Saddle Road

The activity at the current Northeast Rift Zone eruption site continues without significant change since the last update.
Fissure 3, the only active eruptive vent, continues to feed the lava flowing on the northern slope toward the Daniel K. Inouye Highway (Saddle Road). As of 05:00 AM local time today, the lava flow front was located 1.93 mi (3.1 km) from the highway.
The average advance rate of the flow is estimated to be approx. 68 ft/hour (21 m/hour) over the past 24 hours prior to this morning, which is about twice faster than for the past several days. Over shorter periods, the advancing rate was even quicker, reaching up to 90 ft/hour (28 m/hour).
The lava is still traveling on relatively flatter ground, forming small overflows from the main channels. The advancing rate may be highly variable as the lava is flowing on flat ground for now, which makes it difficult to estimate an arrival time to reach Saddle Road. On the flat ground between Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea, lava flows advance more slowly, spread out, and inflate. Therefore, the earliest lava flow might arrive within estimated hours to days, but these are just calculations.

Runny basaltic lava flows from Fissure 3 vent traveling downslope towards the Saddle Road (source: L. Gallant/USGS)

#MaunaLoa's fissure 3 lava channel on Dec 5, 2022. Lava velocities close to the vent were ~26-36 ft per second (8.2-11 m per second) or about 18 mph. Farther downslope, wide lava flow front advances slowly at rate of ~68 ft per hour (21 m per hr) as of Dec 6. Video by L. Gallant. pic.twitter.com/cpriLxylls

— USGS Volcanoes (@USGSVolcanoes) December 6, 2022