There are still homes in Kalapana? I thought that was destroyed years ago. Or am I thinking of another location?
Bre
In a message dated 7/21/2010 8:08:21 A.M. Central Daylight Time, linkerns@gmail.com writes:
Click Photo to EnlargeThis image released last week is a composite of a normal photograph and a thermal image, showing the currently active flows coming down the pali toward the ocean. The active flow areas are shown as white and yellow, while older, cooler flows are shown by purple hues. The flows photographed on July 14 were about 900 meters from the county viewing area, at the end of the Kalapana access road. - Photo By USGSLava river threatens homes
by Colin M. Stewart
Tribune-Herald Staff WriterViewing area covered by molten rock as flow oozes eastward
A steadily moving lava flow remained about 100 yards from a Kalapana home Monday afternoon, and threatened four others as it continued to make its way eastward toward the ocean.
The residents of the home most immediately in danger were evacuated on Sunday, said Hawaii County Civil Defense Administrative Officer John Drummond.
"Overnight, it looks like it has slowed down," he said Monday. "It still looks to be moving steadily ... but that finger of lava going towards the house has really slowed down.
"We may be getting lucky here," he added.
Drummond said he had been in contact with the Red Cross to provide shelter for the families in the event that the other homes must be evacuated.
"We've gotten contact info from everybody, but they'll probably know (they have to leave) before we do," he said.
On Saturday morning, the flow of molten rock swallowed the intersection of Highways 130 and 137 after crossing over the old Kalapana access road, limiting passage into and out of the town. It also covered over the most recent staging area for lava viewing.
For the last three days, the flow from Kilauea Volcano has been progressing about a quarter of a mile a day, said Hawaii Volcano Observatory Director Jim Kauahikaua.
"Right now, it's moving more easterly, rather than toward the ocean," he said. "Our crew is working to determine whether there is any movement toward the ocean."
Currently, the flows are being directed by the remnants of the Hakuma horst. The 20-meter-high fault block along the southern edge of Kalapana was partially filled in by the 1990 lava flow that destroyed the town.
"Most of that structure was not quite buried," Kauahikaua said. "The elevation differential was reduced by the lava flow ... but there's enough there to guide these initial flows to the east.
"We're hoping they'll inflate enough to go toward the ocean. Once a lava flow reaches the ocean, they tend to calm down a bit," he added.
A crowd of onlookers remained at the site, Drummond said, although the original site of the Parks and Recreation Department's viewing area was covered over by the weekend's effusion as it moved eastward.
Since early this year, tourists and lava-watchers have had the opportunity to visit the viewing area and see the lava flow up close without having to walk more than a few minutes from the parking lot.
On May 21, vulcanologists marked the 10,000th day of the eruption from one of Kilauea's East Rift Zone vents, Pu'u O'o, which let loose on Jan. 3, 1983. According to scientists, that makes Kilauea the world's longest continuously erupting volcano.
E-mail Colin M. Stewart at cstewart@hawaiitribune-herald. .com
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