Leading edge of lava flow seems to have stalled

The leading edge of the lava flow threatening Pahoa appears to have temporarily ground to a halt.

“The June 27 lava flow is still active, but it appears the flow front has stalled in the past day or so,” said Steve Brantley, acting scientist-in-charge with the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.

“An overflight by the county Civil Defense observed that the flow front did not advance since yesterday morning.”

Between Monday and Wednesday, the front had slowed to moving about 25 meters a day, and on Thursday it showed no forward movement since Wednesday.

“In the past two weeks, its slow advance has slowed from 120 meters a day down to 25 meters and perhaps down to zero as of earlier today,” Brantley said.

He warned, however, the source of the lava at the Pu‘u ‘O‘o crater was continuing to send lava down through the lava tube system and along the series of cracks that originally carried the flow front toward Pahoa.

“The flow is still active, as evidenced by surface flows a little over a mile upslope from the front,” he said. “… We haven’t seen significant changes at Pu‘u ‘O‘o or at the summit. During yesterday’s visit, geologists saw a steady stream pouring into the lava tube system.”

Civil Defense Administrator Darryl Oliveira added that breakouts behind the front continued to move laterally, widening the flow, but not extending it any closer to Pahoa and Highway 130. Between the front and the breakouts, located about 1.2 miles mauka, the flow’s width ranges from 200 to 500 meters, or 220 to 550 yards.

The flow front remained about 0.8 miles from Apaa/Cemetery Road.

“Breakouts are also active roughly midway along the length of the flow, just upslope from the area where lava enters and travels within ground cracks. Breakouts have persisted in this area for several weeks, but the number of breakouts and overall level of activity has fallen over the past week,” reads an update on the HVO website.

Email Colin M. Stewart at cstewart@hawaiitribune-herald.com.