A new lava flow is creeping down the north side of Pu’u ‘O’o.
A new lava flow is creeping down the north side of Pu‘u ‘O‘o.
The slow-moving flow, the only activity on the mauka side of the volcano, has reached a length of 0.9 miles since starting Jan. 20.
The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory has placed a webcam on the north flank to monitor the flow.
But it is not posing a threat to any property, said Jim Kauahikaua, the lead scientist at HVO.
The flow is being fed by the lava lake at Pu‘u ‘O‘o, which is overflowing on the northeast side.
Kauahikaua said there has been one other flow on the north side in the last 10 years.
“It’s basically going over older flows in this 30-year eruption,” he said.
Pu‘u ‘O‘o had a larger lava lake the last time a flow went in that direction, Kauahikaua said.
“This is a smaller perched lava lake,” he said.
Lava flows continue on the southeast, or makai, side of the volcano.
A 0.6-mile wide flow remained active on the coastal plain on Thursday, with ocean entries at several locations.
The eruption has continued with few interruptions since 1983.