Episodes 51 and 53: 1993 - present
On February 8, 1993, the eruption paused. Without lava from the
Episode 51 vent, flows in the park stagnated. Activity resumed on
February 16. Episode 53 began on February 20, 1993, as a new vent formed
on the south side of the Puu Oo cone, adjacent to the Episode 52 vent,
and sent lava flows to the south. These flows entered the tube system
established by Episode 51. Both vents used the same tube system to
deliver lava to the Kamoamoa area. Photograph by C.C. Heliker, U.S.
Geological Survey, February 21, 1993.
By March 2, lava was again pouring into the ocean in the park. In early
March, a rupture in the lava tube generated a flow that traveled along
the west side of the flow field. This flow cascaded over Paliuli and
crossed Chain of Craters Road 1,600 feet (500 m) west of the Kamoamoa
flow field. The flow buried most of the archaeological features at Lae
Apuki, the former site of a Hawaiian village, and entered the ocean on
March 28, 1993. Puu Oo cone is in the top right of the photo. The east
Kamoamoa entry is producing a large steam plume. The lava flows in the
Lae Apuki area are west (left) of the Kamoamoa flow field. Chain of
Craters Road is in the lower right. Photograph by C.C. Heliker, U.S.
Geological Survey, March 25, 1993.
The lava bench that formed at Lae Apuki was very unstable. From the
safety of the old coastline, rangers and visitors watched as portions of
the bench collapsed into the ocean, exposing hot rocks or lava. The hot
material generated steam explosions that hurled blocks of rock or spatter
into the air. On the night of April 19, a piece of bench collapsed and
carried a visitor into the ocean. His body was never recovered.
Twenty-two other visitors were injured by flying rocks. Everyone was
beyond the "area closed" signs posted by the park service. The tube
system to Lae Apuki was abandoned by May 6, 1993. This photo of the east
Kamoamoa lava entry shows small explosions caused by the interaction of
lava and water. Spatter and black sand are thrown into the steam plume.
Blocks of rock, thrown inland during the explosions caused by the bench
collapse of April 19, are in the foreground. Photograph by C.C. Heliker,
U.S. Geological Survey, May 28, 1993.
The Episode 51 and 53 vents continued to supply lava to a tube that
reached the coastal area and ocean for the remainder of 1993 and through
all of 1994. From February 1993 to February 1994 the volume of lava
varied between about 200,000-400,000 cubic yards (150,000-300,000 cubic
meters) per day. Visitors had many opportunities to watch the island
grow. Photograph by Steve Mattox, July 1994.
Late in 1993 collapse pits developed in the the flank of the Puu Oo
cinder and spatter cone. One collapse pit was 100-120 feet (35-40 m) in
diameter and consumed most of the spatter cone produced at the onset of
Episode 53. Photograph by C.C. Heliker, U.S. Geological Survey, January
13, 1994.
Between October 1994 and April 1995 the eruption paused five times.
After each pause lava reoccupied the tube system to about the top of
Palama Pali. The lava then leaves the tube and travels on the surface to
the ocean. Over time new tubes form on the pali and the coastal area.
During this period lava entered the ocean at 15 different locations
between Highcastle and Kamokuna.
A
skylight
formed in the upper part of the lava tube
system in July and revealed a 40 foot (12 m) wide river of lava 65 feet
(20 m) below this surface. Since the tube formed near the surface, this
observation indicated that the lava tube had melted the rock beneath it.
The tube bifurcates near the top of Pulama Pali. One tube sent lava to
an entry near Kamoamoa. The second tube supplied lava to an entry near
the end of Chain of Craters Road.
A pause in the eruption began on August 22. The eruption resumed on
August 25 and flows broke out of the tube system at an elevation of 2,200
feet (670 m). These flows moved down the east side of the Kamoamoa flow
field and entered the ocean on September 7. Unfortunately the flows and
lava entries are about 3 miles (5 km) from the end of Chain of Craters
Road and the national park has closed the area to visitors. Most of the
lava enters the ocean near Kamokuna.
In September the lava pond in Puu Oo was only 50 feet (15 m) across and
at a depth of about 325 feet (100 m) below the rim of the crater. The
pond is smaller and deeper than observed previously.
Map simplified from October 20, 1995
Volcano Watch.
1. Kamoamoa 2. Kamokuna
Sometime between the evening of October 17 and noon on October 18 a
large
collapse removed part of a newly formed lava bench. The exposed hot
rocks and lava from the tube generated steam explosions that threw
material back on the bench to produce a littoral cone. The cone was 10
feet (3 m) tall and 50 feet (15 m) long. Collapse events are extremely
dangerous and can happen at any time without warning.
As of February 1996, the Episode 51 and 53 vents continue to supply lava
to a tube system that empties into the ocean on the east side of the
Kamoamoa flow field. A small lava pond is still active within the Puu Oo
Crater.
When possible, the rangers of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park provide
access to lava flows in the coastal area. To check on recent viewing
conditions click
here,
or
call the park's eruption message at (808) 967-7977.
For the latest information about the eruption visit the
Hawaii Volcano Observatory homepage.
The current eruption of Kilauea shows no signs of stopping in the near
future.
