Lava flow remains active upslope of stalled leading edge

Upslope breakouts remained active along the June 27 lava flow Wednesday morning, Hawaii County Civil Defense reports. Activity in the downslope area of the flow remains quiet.

Small breakouts continued from about 8 miles upslope of the flow’s stalled leading edges, located less than a mile above Pahoa, to Kilauea Volcano’s Puu Oo vent, officials said. “Very little activity” was observed between the flow front and the start of the small breakouts. The flow extends about 14 miles.

The upslope breakouts were concentrated on the upper 4 miles of Kilauea’s East Rift Zone lava flow, the U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said.

Scientists said that the flow continues to feed breakouts in three areas northeast of Puu Oo. The Feb. 21 breakout on the flank of Puu Oo continues to spread toward the northeast while the March 9 breakout has reached the forested cone of Kahaualea. The third breakout, located about 3 to 4 miles farther northeast of the vent, remained relatively small.

None of the activity posed an immediate threat to area communities, however, Civil Defense said.

Smoke and vog conditions were reported as moderate Wednesday morning with a light south wind blowing the smoke and vog in a northeast direction, Civil Defense said.