Activity in the downslope area of the June 27 lava flow remained quiet Thursday morning, Hawaii County Civil Defense reported.
Officials, following a morning helicopter overflight of the flow, said there was “very little activity” in the lower portions of the flow, which remains stalled less than a mile above Pahoa. The U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said that area of the flow field was inactive.
Upslope, small breakouts remained active from about 8 miles upslope of the flow’s stalled leading edges to Kilauea Volcano’s Puu Oo vent, Civil Defense said.
USGS scientists said Wednesday that the upslope breakouts continued in at least three areas northeast of Puu Oo.
The breakout on the northern flank of Puu Oo, which started on Feb. 21, continues to spread at the northeastern base of the cone while the northern arm of another breakout near Kahaualea continues to burn trees directly north of Puu Kahaualea. Breakouts observed previously about 3 to 4 miles northeast of Puu Oo have become inactive, while a small set of new ones were observed in roughly the same area.
None of the activity posed an immediate threat to area communities, however, Civil Defense iterated Thursday morning in the agency’s eruption and lava flow update.
Smoke and vog conditions were reported as moderate Thursday morning with a light south wind blowing the smoke and vog in a northeast direction, Civil Defense said.