(ABOVE) This morning’s Hawaii County Civil Defense Lava Flow Map, updated Wednesday, Dec. 24 at 7:00 am.

NEWS BRIEFS

• The lava flow front remains stalled and there has been no advancement since Monday afternoon.
• Surface breakouts and activity along both margins remain active upslope of the front, however civil defense says they not advancing.

MEDIA

This morning’s Hawaii County Civil Defense message (Dec. 24):

PRIMARY SOURCES

This morning’s assessment shows that the flow front remains stalled and there has been no advancement since 4:30 p.m. Monday afternoon. The front or leading edge remains approximately 0.6 miles upslope of the Highway 130 and Pahoa Village Road intersection. Some surface breakouts and activity along both margins remain active and upslope of the front, however not advancing, and current activity does not pose an immediate threat to area communities. All breakout activity will be monitored closely and residents and businesses down slope will be kept informed of any changes. As the flow activity continues to present with the possibility of advancement, businesses in the Pahoa Market Place are taking necessary steps to prepare for a possible evacuation. Motorists are advised to drive with caution and to be prepared for increased traffic and large vehicles in the area.

Smoke conditions in the immediate area were light with light variable winds blowing the smoke in a south/southeast direction. Smoke conditions may increase in some areas and individuals who may be sensitive or have respiratory problems are advised to take necessary precautions and to remain indoors.

The Railroad Avenue alternate access road has been opened for use from 12:00noon this past Saturday December 20th. This is to allow for motorists to become familiar with the road and traffic flow. Highway 130 remains open and there is no anticipated road closure at this time.

On behalf of the Hawaii County Civil Defense Agency and our partners we would like to thank everyone for your assistance and cooperation. Hawaii County Civil Defense on Dec. 24 at 7:30 a.m. HST

Kīlauea Volcano continues to erupt at its summit and within its East Rift Zone. The tip of a lava flow front consisting of north and south branches has stopped advancing at about 0.6 miles (1.0 km) from Pāhoa Marketplace as of midday Monday. The flow continues to have surface breakouts behind the flow front as of this morning, according to Civil Defense and HVO webcams. Deflationary tilt has been present in the summit over the past day.

June 27th Lava Flow Observations: HVO, along with Civil Defense, is monitoring a flow front that has been progressing towards the Pāhoa Marketplace. Civil Defense reported this morning that the leading tip of the active flow has not advanced and is currently about 0.6 miles (1.0 km) upslope from the intersection of Highway 130 and Pāhoa Village Rd. Flow activity is present behind the inactive front in several areas.

Puʻu ʻŌʻō Observations: A large inflationary tilt observed at Puʻu ʻŌʻō was due to high rainfall in the area. Tilt was otherwise flat. All other monitoring data indicate no significant changes at Puʻu ʻŌʻō. The most recent measurement of sulfur dioxide emissions from the East Rift Zone was about 250 tonnes per day on December 19, 2014.

Summit Observations: A tiltmeter at Kīlauea’s summit has recorded deflationary tilt for the past day. Overall, the trend of summit tilt for the past week has been one of gentle decline. The summit lava lake has shown the usual fluctuations associated with changes in spattering behavior, which are also manifested as variations in tremor amplitudes and gas release. Small amounts of particulate material were carried aloft by the plume. The average emission rate of sulfur dioxide ranged between 3,100 and 6,500 tonnes/day for the week ending on December 16USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory on Dec. 24 at 8:39 a.m. HST