Lava flow stalls 0.6 mile from ocean

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The tip of the 61G lava flow extending southeast of Puu Oo appears to have stalled about 0.6 mile upslope of the ocean, however, breakouts upslope continue widen the flow field.

The tip of the 61G lava flow extending southeast of Puu Oo appears to have stalled about 0.6 mile upslope of the ocean, however, breakouts upslope continue widen the flow field.

Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists said Wednesday that geologists visited the area on the coastal plain of Kilauea’s south flank on Tuesday finding that the tip had stalled. However, “many breakouts were active upslope overplating and widening the flow field.”

At Puu Oo, HVO geologists noted no significant changes on Tuesday. Several incandescent vents on the floor of the crater remained visible. Tiltmeters at the summit of Kilauea recorded minor inflationary tilt over the past day. Wednesday morning, the lava lake at Halemaumau was 97 feet below the crater’s floor.

Bright incandescence remains visible in overnight webcam views of the active lava flow field.