May 8, 2018 Thirteenth Leilani Eruption
The thirteenth Leilani Eruption occurred today near the intersection of Leilani Ave and Kahukai. Noxious gas release… huge cracks in the road… and violent lava spattering, as has been typical of the past several days. The eruption began just eight days ago, with the sudden collapse of the Pu’u ‘O’o Vent… the main vent of the current eruption for the past 35 years. Since then, hundreds of earthquakes have rocked the Big Island of Hawaii, some 200 miles southeast of Honolulu. Underground lava inundation transported the molten rock down the east rift zone in the Puna area of the island. Puna is very large… almost the size of Kaua’i. Several days of seismic activity later, lava first surfaced in the lower part of the Leilani Estates subdivision on Thursday, May 3, 2018. Since then, thirteen separate fissure eruptions have literally ripped the community apart, tearing huge cracks in roads, burning forests and destroying homes… nearly forty so far. Although the eruption slowed a bit over the past couple days, today’s activity proved Pele is far from finished pouring new lava into the eastern end of the Big Island.
Mahalo to Paradise Helicopters and Bruce Omori at Extreme Exposure