It was on July 19, 2002 that lava from what is known as the Mother's Day flow (the red flow on the left side of the map below) reached the sea at West Highcastle. This was followed two days later by a sea entry at Wilipe'a. As suggested by its name, these flows originated in mid-May from two areas south and west of Pu`u `O`o, the huge, active cinder cone of Kilauea.
Since Kilauea has been active since 1983, why is this recent activity so popular? The answer is that the current flow, both down the pali and into the ocean, offers the best opportunity for close-up viewing in several years. Actual flows into the ocean do not occur every day. The direction and intensity of the lava flow can change at any time. Most of the current activity, however, is within easy walking distance of the end of the Chain of Craters Road.
While the opportunity to stand on the edge of creation may be a once in a lifetime opportunity, it could also be the last opportunity in your lifetime if proper precautions and safety measures are not taken. People have died every year in their effort to get as close as possible to Kilauea's flow.
Fortunately, however, the National Park Service makes every effort to protect observers from their ignorance or their desire to risk their lives by getting too close to the lava.
We urge anyone who intends to observe the current flows to read the following material provided by the National Park Service and the U.S. Geological Survey.
- Viewing Lava Safely - Common Sense is Not Enough
- Explosions at the Edge of an Active Lava Delta
- Volcanic Gases and Their Effects
- Water Temperatures Where Lava Enters the Sea
- When Lava Enters the Sea: Growth & Collapse of Lava Deltas
For those who are interested in viewing photos of the recent activity, we have added numerous photos to our Hawaii Volcanoes Photo Gallery.
Map courtesy of the U.S. Geological Survey, Hawaii Volcano Observatory - Public Domain
