The active front of the June 27 lava flow showed continued signs of slowing Friday morning.
The active front of the June 27 lava flow showed continued signs of slowing Friday morning.
The flow front remained approximately 2.4 miles upslope of Highway 130 and Pahoa Village Road, and had traveled about 145 yards since Thursday morning, said Hawaii County Civil Defense Administrator Darryl Oliveira. Between Wednesday and Thursday, it moved about 170 yards, and in days prior was averaging upwards of 400 yards a day, he said.
“We’ve been seeing a bit of a slowdown over the last two days,” he said.
The flow is passing through a relatively flat area, but continues to make its way toward a convergence of two predicted flow paths that could take it in different directions.
The flow paths, which take topography into account in predicting possible movements of the flow, show that the lava could possibly head in a more northerly direction, passing to the south of the Ainaloa subdivision and eventually making its way into Hawaiian Paradise Park, if it gets that far without stopping. Or, the lava instead could flow in a northeast direction, which could lead it toward the Pahoa Marketplace.
Scientists with the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory have been careful to note, however, a variety of things could happen when the lava hits the convergence, making it difficult to say with any certainty where the flow could end up going. One possibility is that the flow could split in both directions, which likely would serve to significantly slow both lobes, HVO geophysicist Mike Poland said.
He and his fellow scientists will be watching closely to see where the flow might turn next, and they expect to have a better idea some time next week, he said Thursday.
Email Colin M. Stewart at cstewart@hawaiitribune-herald.com.