Rockfall in lava lake causes splash

A rockfall made a splash in the lava lake at Kilauea’s summit early Monday morning, the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said.

The event was caused by a collapse along the crater’s north wall, where another rockfall occurred Saturday, said Janet Babb, HVO spokeswoman.

The Monday rockfall, which occurred at 3:18 a.m., was not big enough to cause lava to spatter onto the crater rim, she said. Lava spatter was seen Saturday.

Meanwhile, the eruption at the Pu‘u ‘O‘o vent on Kilauea’s East Rift Zone continues to be confined within 4 miles northeast of the vent. A breakout that started Nov. 25 is advancing into a forest, though it has not yet overtaken the flow’s most distal point.

The eruption at the vent reached its 33rd anniversary Sunday. It has been ongoing since Jan. 3, 1983.