Kilauea volcano (Hawai'i): photos activity March 2017

Kilaua volcano (Hawaii): activity March 2017 - lava flows and fire hose ocean entry

For almost 3 months, a spectacular "fire hose" - a jet of lava shooting out from the exposed lava tube at the sea cliff - was feeding the ocean entry at Kamokuna. During our Kilauea Volcano Special tour in March 2017, we visited the volcano with small groups in order to document its activity.

Impressions from a morning boat tour to the Kamokuna ocean entry on 13 March 2017 during our latest Kilauea Volcano Special tour. We were lucky enough to be there during the last week when the spectacular fire hose was still active.

A special thanks goes to the competent and friendly crew from Kalapana Cultural Tours, in particular to captains Ikaika and Andrew, who we think provide the best service by far among the competition! (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer)

Kilauea volcano (Hawaii): lava ocean entry 13 March 2017 (32 Images)

Kilauea volcano (Hawaii): overview and geologic features (c)

Kilauea volcano (Hawaii): overview and geologic features (16 Images)

For almost 3 months in early 2017, Kilauea volcano was the site of one of the most spectacular and rarest volcanic phenomena: a "fire hose" or lava hose shooting into the ocean. A major bench and cliff collapse on New Year 's Eve 2016 exposed the main active lava tube which had been feeding the ocean entry at rates of up to several cubic meters of very fluid, hot (approx. 1200 deg C) lava. The lava has been traveling underground from the vent on the east rift zone to the coast at 10 miles distance.
The collapse on 31 Dec also affected the submarine part of the coast, creating a very steep submarine slope. It took almost 3 months before the continuous addition of lava finally succeeded to create a new lava delta (bench), allowing the lava to encase itself, stopping the "fire hose" effect.
The pictures on the lower part of this page show one of the last days of the life of the fire hose (18 Mar) when a surge in the tube caused it to be particularly violent. (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer)

Kilauea volcano (Hawaii): the fire hose (March 2017) (56 Images)

Kilauea volcano (Hawaii): tour photos (March 2017) (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer)

Kilauea volcano (Hawaii): tour photos (March 2017) (20 Images)

When hot, liquid lava at temperatures near 1200 deg C, directly coming from the lava tube, meets its arch-enemy water, the reaction is often violent: a battle of elements, generating ever-changing (so-called littoral) explosions in a chaos of steam, fragmented lava pieces which become new black sand, and colors.
The pictures were taken during 12-18 March from several viewpoints on water and on land. Among hundreds of similar photos, it was impossible to choose only a few, even though they cannot even come close to the fascination of watching it from relatively close. Few sights have impressed and mesmerized me as much as this battle between Pele and her sister Nā-maka-o-Kahaʻi, goddess of the sea. (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer)

Kilauea volcano (Hawaii): lava meets water - littoral explosions (Mar 2017) (92 Images)

Images taken during boat trips early dawn on 15 and 17 March 2017. The fire hose was strongest on the first day, but increased a lot again on 18 March, before stopping and turning into a lava fall a few days later. (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer)

Kilauea volcano (Hawaii): ocean entry at night and dawn (March 2017) (32 Images)

A selection of images of the g61 lava flow in March 2017 - active and frozen lava flows of pahoehoe type with ropy and toe structures. (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer)

Kilauea volcano (Hawaii): phoehoe lava flows (March 2017) (80 Images)

Kilauea volcano (Hawaii): summit lava lake (Mar 2017) (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer)

Kilauea volcano (Hawaii): summit lava lake (Mar 2017) (16 Images)

Kilauea volcano (Hawaii): colors (March 2017 (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer)

Kilauea volcano (Hawaii): colors (March 2017 (24 Images)

Kilauea volcano (Hawaii): lava at dark (March 2017) (Photo: Tom Pfeiffer)

Kilauea volcano (Hawaii): lava at dark (March 2017) (24 Images)

Video of the eruption (lava flow and fire hose):

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