lava – Page 10 – A Darker View

To the Flow by Sea

There are four ways to get to the lava… You can hike it, you can bike it, fly to it, or go by sea. I had done all of the other ways, it was time to take a boat.

The 61G lava flow has been flowing into the sea at Kamokuna for several months now allowing the lava tour boat business to resume after a three year pause. I have biked to this flow, but a view from the water was an attractive option for photography. After multiple discussions with a few photographers I know I had decided to go out with Kalapana Cultural Tours, a local business with years of experience on these waters, a choice which proved to be a good one!

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Lava Gallery

After this latest trip to see the lave I was recalling all of my previous effort to photograph the lava. It has resulted in quite a few beautiful photographs, many of which have appeared here on DarkerView…

Pāhoehoe — An active pāhoehoe breakout at Kamokuna

Halema'uma'u Glow — The plume at Halema’uma’u lit up at night as seen from the Mauna Kea VIS

Kupapa'u Lava — An active pāhoehoe breakout at Kupapa’u

Pahoehoe lava breaks out to flow forward and form another pillow at Kalapana

Littoral Fire — A littoral cone formed at the end of a lava flow near Kalapana glows red under the stars, the planet Jupiter shines above the glowing plume

Lava Lake at Halemaʻumaʻu — The lava lake at Halemaʻumaʻu with several fountains of lava along the far rim, May 2, 2015.

Lava moves forward in the flow field at Kalapana

Lava Entry — Lava from the Kilauea volcano enters the ocean at Kamokuna

A skylight allows a view into an active lava tube near the top of lava flow 61G at Kilauea, photo by Deborah Cooper

Photo Tour — A Paradise Helicopter doors off photo tour hovers over the ocean entry at Kamokuna

Ocean Entry — Lava pours into the sea at Kupapa’u

Cooling Lava — Cooling pahoehoe lava glows red at Kalapana

Hand of Lava — Lava from the Kilauea volcano enters the ocean at Kamokuna

Pāhoehoe Inflation

Most people think that lava flows simply ooze forward and cool in place. But there is more going on than this simple version. Yes, flows ooze forward, but much of the mass of a lava flow arrives later, the flow can inflate to many times the volume as more lava arrives and lifts the crust from underneath.

How many of us have played with molten wax from a candle, or perhaps simply watched a thick syrup or honey flow over a pancake? An observant person watches things like this and learns how materials behave. The problem is that these lessons, while valuable, sometimes do not translate well to all cases. Lava is a good example, it behaves much differently than many would expect.

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Pāhoehoe

Biking the Flow

Riding to the Lava — Your author at the end of the road where the 61G lava flow again cut Chain of Craters Road

Lava at the New Ocean Entry

The lava has been flowing into the ocean for a little over a month now and all my photographer friends are posting great photos. It is really past time I got myself down to Kalapana to see the lava. The real problem is that my vehicle has been in the shop and I had no way to carry the bike. The answer? Don wanted to make another go at it, his bike rack holds two! Can you pick me up on your way past Waikoloa?

While the lava is further from the end of the road than on my previous hikes, a full 4.5miles, it is actually easier to get to. When earlier flows looked like they would cut the main highway into Puna the county re-cut Chain of Craters road across the lava flows. The road is closed to motor vehicle traffic, but foot and bicycle traffic is allowed. This gives a direct access to the current 61G lava flow without having to cross country for miles across older flows.

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Pāhoehoe

Ocean Entry Under Full Moonlight

Getting to the Lava

Note! The contents of this posting are obsolete, there is currently no surface lava accessible on the island. When it does reach the surface again I will most likely be there, look to see an update of this article in the future!

The 61G flow reached the ocean a month ago, but only this last weekend did I get a chance to go out and see it for myself. It is quite a bit further to go than previous visits, about four and a half miles, but is it also much easier. I realized that my Getting to the Lava post is a bit outdated and a serious update is in order.

The 61G lava flow ocean entry at Kamokuna

The 61G flow began on May 24th, breaking out on the southeastern flank of Pu’u O’o. The flow moved fairly quickly, cutting the re-built Chain of Craters Road and entering the ocean on July 26th. The flow is quite vigorous with an ample supply of lava. There are currently multiple surface breakouts and multiple ocean entry points. The flow is building new land near Kamokuna, the lava delta has added around 11 acres to the Big Island in one month.

61G Lava Flow Map — Map of the 61G lava flow as of July 2nd

With easier access and a dramatic ocean entry the 61G flow is drawing large crowds of visitors that have come to see the spectacle. In my opinion the trip is very much worth the effort. Still, there are inherent risks in experiencing raw nature like this. A little preparation is in order and may prevent a visit from becoming an emergency.

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