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]
(317 Hits)
(317 Hits)
Hiking across the vast lava flow fields below the east rift zone we slowly but surely get closer to ... [info]
(334 Hits)
(334 Hits)
By dawn finally reach the bottom of the pali from where lava is flowing down - seemingly writing the... [info]
(391 Hits)
(391 Hits)
Sunrise over the vast lava flow fields that have been repeatedly covering this coastal area since th... [info]
(352 Hits)
(352 Hits)
The active pahoehoe lava flow fronts that we found are advancing next to an older blocky aa lava flo... [info]
(338 Hits)
(338 Hits)
Our small party at the active lava flow fronts! (Photo: Ingrid Smet) [info]
(445 Hits)
(445 Hits)
The silvery, freshly cooled crust of a lava front breaks open as fresh lava pushes through (Photo: I... [info]
(544 Hits)
(544 Hits)
Liquid lava oozing out from underneath a recently cooled crust (Photo: Ingrid Smet) [info]
(802 Hits)
(802 Hits)
The outer surface of fresh red hot lava quickly forms a thing silvery crust, which is pushed forward... [info]
(412 Hits)
(412 Hits)
Close up of a fresh ropey textured crust and the still liquid glowing lava underneath it (Photo: Ing... [info]
(656 Hits)
(656 Hits)
As the thin crust is pushed forwards the shear stress ruptures the crust on the sides of the lava to... [info]
(379 Hits)
(379 Hits)
Actively flowing pahoehoe lava fronts at the bottom of (foreground) and halfway up (background left)... [info]
(356 Hits)
(356 Hits)
It is just fascinating to watch the ever changing patterns, textures and shapes of the advancing pah... [info]
(557 Hits)
(557 Hits)
Thin upper crust gets crumpled and twisted whilst moving on top of the actively flowing lava, result... [info]
(342 Hits)
(342 Hits)
Active pahoehoe lava flow front (Photo: Ingrid Smet) [info]
(313 Hits)
(313 Hits)
Faster flowing channel of pahoehoe lava (Photo: Ingrid Smet) [info]
(301 Hits)
(301 Hits)
Crumpled, twisted, ropey textured lava crust gets heaped up at the front of the active lava flow (Ph... [info]
(280 Hits)
(280 Hits)
As the lava moves relatively slow, one can get as close as the heat allows to observe or photograph ... [info]
(298 Hits)
(298 Hits)
Detail of the ropey textured crust at the lava flow front and the still liquid, red hot liquid lava ... [info]
(521 Hits)
(521 Hits)
As the crust breaks open, a miniature skylight is formed, allowing us a look inside the red glowing ... [info]
(577 Hits)
(577 Hits)
But as the lava is continuously moving this small 'gateway to hell' quickly collapses (Photo: Ingrid... [info]
(276 Hits)
(276 Hits)
New break out along the edge of an actively advancing pahoehoe lava flow front (Photo: Ingrid Smet) [info]
(247 Hits)
(247 Hits)
Active pahoehoe lava flows at the bottom of (foreground) and on (background right) the pali (Photo: ... [info]
(231 Hits)
(231 Hits)
Getting up close to actively flowing pahoehoe lava (Photo: Ingrid Smet) [info]
(229 Hits)
(229 Hits)
Small side channel of pahoehoe lava, forming a ropey textured crust (Photo: Ingrid Smet) [info]
(202 Hits)
(202 Hits)
Lava toes oozing out from between just collapsed ropey lava crust (Photo: Ingrid Smet) [info]
(280 Hits)
(280 Hits)
The continuously moving and changing lava flow front sometimes also forms more blocky, angular aa la... [info]
(187 Hits)
(187 Hits)
Multiple lateral pahoehoe lava flows emerging from the main lava flow front (Photo: Ingrid Smet) [info]
(174 Hits)
(174 Hits)
Fresh pahoehoe lava with silvery ropey textured crust slowly covers older aa lava (Photo: Ingrid Sme... [info]
(195 Hits)
(195 Hits)
Different small pahoehoe lava outbreaks pooling together (Photo: Ingrid Smet) [info]
(189 Hits)
(189 Hits)
More rapidly flowing pahoehoe lava emerging from underneath a freshly cooled ropey crust (Photo: Ing... [info]
(159 Hits)
(159 Hits)
Close up of red hot liquid lava flowing from underneath a recently cooled crust (Photo: Ingrid Smet) [info]
(171 Hits)
(171 Hits)
Large ropes are formed in the thin upper crust of this lava flow (Photo: Ingrid Smet) [info]
(153 Hits)
(153 Hits)
Detail of freshly formed silvery crust and its red hot liquid lava interior (Photo: Ingrid Smet) [info]
(414 Hits)
(414 Hits)
Ropey textured pahoehoe lava channels at the advancing flow front (Photo: Ingrid Smet) [info]
(149 Hits)
(149 Hits)
Detail of red hot lava with low viscosity flowing from underneath a thin fresh crust (Photo: Ingrid ... [info]
(148 Hits)
(148 Hits)
One can easily spend a few hours observing and photographing the everchanging front of an active lav... [info]
(141 Hits)
(141 Hits)
A small lava breakout pushes up its crust - note the heat shimmer in the air above it (Photo: Ingrid... [info]
(130 Hits)
(130 Hits)
Actively flowing pahoehoe lava engulfs older aa lava (Photo: Ingrid Smet) [info]
(134 Hits)
(134 Hits)
Intricate texture of folded, crumpled up ropey fresh crust at the front of a larger pahoehoe lava fl... [info]
(132 Hits)
(132 Hits)
Close up of pele's hair been formed whilst liquid lava breaks out from underneath freshly cooled cru... [info]
(511 Hits)
(511 Hits)
Ropey textured crust flowing, turning and sliding down a hill can form beautiful textures such as th... [info]
(131 Hits)
(131 Hits)
Multiple lobes of liquid pahoehoe lava at the front of an active lava flow (Photo: Ingrid Smet) [info]
(132 Hits)
(132 Hits)
Advancing pahohehoe lava burns any plants that had already colonised these lava flow fields (in this... [info]
(141 Hits)
(141 Hits)
Philip Ong, our VolcanoDiscovery expert guide for Kilauea's active lava flows, trying to dry up a bi... [info]
(195 Hits)
(195 Hits)
Active pahoehoe lava flow fronts next to an older aa lava (dark brown rocks in the centre left) (Pho... [info]
(139 Hits)
(139 Hits)
Not a single moment in the 3,5 hours that we spend with these active lava flows was boring! (Photo: ... [info]
(128 Hits)
(128 Hits)
Flow front of an active pahoehoe lava lobe with both ropey and more blocky texture of the crust (Pho... [info]
(128 Hits)
(128 Hits)
Lava flowing downhil from multiple outbreak points results into its quickly cooled crust rotating in... [info]
(155 Hits)
(155 Hits)
We are eventually able to tear ourselves away from the beautiful spectacle that Pele's has offered t... [info]
(162 Hits)
(162 Hits)
It takes no longer than 9 months for plants to colonise a freshly formed lava flow (Photo: Ingrid Sm... [info]
(590 Hits)
(590 Hits)
Ferns are the first plants to start growing on new lava flow fields, usually within the cooling crac... [info]
(284 Hits)
(284 Hits)
A young fern growing in between the ropey texture of a pahoehoe lava flow (Photo: Ingrid Smet) [info]
(171 Hits)
(171 Hits)
