(ABOVE PHOTO) A look at the breakout about a mile from Pu’u O’o, captured from video shot by Mick Kalber of Tropical Visions Video aboard Paradise Helicopters on Saturday.

NEWS BRIEFS

• The flow field in Pahoa has gone quiet. Civil defense reports the nearest surface flow activity and surface breakouts are approximately 6 miles upslope of Apa’a Street, between the Pu’u O’o vent and the crack system.
• Lava remains in the system, and so the evacuation advisory for those residents down slope of the flow will continue. Also, Pahoa Village Road between Apa’a Street and the Post Office Road will remain closed and limited to area residents only.

PRIMARY SOURCES

This morning’s assessment shows very little activity along the breakouts and no advancement has been noted since Saturday. Although no activity was observed downslope of the crack system, numerous surface breakouts and flows were noted in the areas from the vent to the crack system indicating lava remains in the system. The nearest surface flow activity and surface breakouts are approximately 6 miles upslope of Apa’a Street.
Smoke conditions are light with a light trade wind blowing the smoke in a south southeast direction. Smoke conditions may increase in some areas and residents down wind that may be sensitive or have respiratory problems are advised to take necessary precautions and to remain indoors.
The evacuation advisory for those residents down slope of the flow will continue and residents will be kept informed of the flow status and advancement.

The Pahoa Village Road between Apa’a Street and the Post Office Road will remain closed and limited to area residents only. Access to the businesses and commercial areas of the Pahoa town can be made through the Pahoa Village Road at the intersection of Highways 130 and 132 and the Post Office Road. We apologize for any inconvenience the road closure may be presenting with and remind everyone that the Pahoa town center and businesses are open and accessible.

Civil Defense and public safety personnel will be operating in the area round the clock to maintain close observations of flow activity.

Additional updates will be broadcasted as conditions change.Hawaii County Civil Defense on Nov. 17 at 7:45 a.m. HST

Kīlauea volcano continues to erupt at its summit and within its East Rift Zone. Lava breakouts remain active and continue to advance in areas behind the leading edge of the June 27th lava flow that stalled on October 30. These active breakouts are below Apaʻa Street in the area of the cemetery, and several areas upslope of Apaʻa Street. The breakout about 1.6 km (1 mile) northeast of Puʻu ʻŌʻō continues, and a new breakout from the June 27th lava tube has occurred over the past day near the ground crack system. Kīlauea’s summit has had slight inflationary tilt over the past day, and the level of the summit lava lake at Halemaʻumaʻu Crater fluctuated slightly.

June 27th Lava Flow Observations: HVO scientists conducted fieldwork Sunday to assess the progress of the lava flow. The leading edge of the flow had not advanced beyond where it stalled on October 30, in a residential area approximately 155 meters (170 yards) above Pāhoa Village Road, but breakout activity continued in areas upslope of this leading edge. The closest active lava to Pāhoa Village Road was located approximately 630 meters (0.4 miles) upslope of Pāhoa Village Road, near the Pāhoa cemetery. A small breakout was also burning grass in the pasture a short distance south of the cemetery. The lobe of the lava flow upslope of the transfer station had stalled at its leading edge, and was approximately 180 meters (200 yards) above Apaʻa Street. A portion of lava on this lobe has migrated east towards the main body of the flow and appeared active yesterday. Scattered breakouts persist upslope of Cemetery Rd./Apaʻa St., up to 2.7 km (1.7 miles) upslope of Cemetery Rd./Apaʻa St. The breakout from the June 27th lava tube roughly 1.6 km (1 mile) northeast of Puʻu ʻŌʻō, near the small forested cone of Kahaualeʻa, remains active based on webcam views. In addition, a new breakout from the June 27th lava tube, close to the ground crack system (that is, roughly mid-way down the June 27th flow), began yesterday afternoon and continues this morning.

Puʻu ʻŌʻō Observations: No significant changes were noted near Puʻu ʻŌʻō. Seismic tremor continued with relatively steady amplitude, and webcams revealed no strong variations in the pattern of glow from degassing vents nor the configuration of the crater floor. Recently HVO scientists have observed small incandescent openings in the north, northeast, south, and southeast pits in Puʻu ʻŌʻō’s crater. The tiltmeter at Puʻu ʻŌʻō showed no significant changes over the past day, with some of the variations due to rain. The GPS-measured length across the cone has not changed significantly since July. The most recent measurement of sulfur dioxide emissions from the East Rift Zone was 320 tonnes per day on October 31, 2014.

Summit Observations: Slight inflationary tilt continued over the past day. The surface height of the lava lake in the Overlook vent was relatively steady through much of the past day and rose slightly this morning. Volcanic tremor persisted at fluctuating amplitudes based on spattering activity in the lake. Small amounts of particulate material were carried aloft by the plume. Summit emissions of sulfur dioxide were measured at 6,200 tonnes/day on November 5 (see caveat below), but winds did not allow for repeated measurement through the week-long period ending November 11, 2014. USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory on Nov. 17 at 8:54 a.m. HST