| Current Update | Update Archive |

1 June 2000

A walk around the Pu`u `O` cone today revealed no significant changes in the crater or collapse pits on the south and west flanks of the cone. On the east crater rim, gentle "sloshing" sounds were heard from the crater, indicating the presence of lava at a shallow level. Heavy fume, however, prevented direct observation of the vent activity. On the south side of Pu`u `O`o, lava was also visible in an old collapse pit about 20 m beneath the surface (see image below on June 8); the pit formed several months ago but had been floored with talus until only recently. If moving at all, the lava in the pit appeared to flow east-southeast in the direction of the tube system.

• Map of Pu`u `O`o cone and flank vents showing location of features shown below

View into Pu`u` O`o from west gap

| med | large |	| med | large |
View is east into the crater of Pu`u `O`o from the west gap. The north crater wall of Pu`u `O`o is on left, and the crater floor slopes to a central trough in lower right.	View is from same location as image on left, but shifted toward the south to reveal the west end of the trough on the crater floor. The thick fume rises from the northwest wall of the trough.

View into Puka Nui

| med | large |	| med | large |
View is east-southeast into Puka Nui. Pu`u `O`o cone is on left. Heavy fume rises from two vents at the base of the cone. The throat of the vent on left was glowing, and at times escaping gas ejected small rocks from the vent walls.	View is from same location as image on left, but shifted toward the south to reveal the crater floor of Puka Nui. The fume rising from the south crater rim (right middle) developed in the past two months.

Active flow field on coastal plain

| med | large |

This view is southeast across the coastal plain of Kilauea Volcano, showing the two most active ocean entries (white plumes). Waha`ula entry, the larger of the two, is at upper right. Distance between the two plumes is 1.2 km.

8 June 2000

| med | large |	Aerial view of the active flow field descending Pulama pali; Pu`u `O`o is the high point on left skyline. Sulfurous fume escapes from skylights of the lava-tube system, which carries daily nearly 300,000 m3 of lava.
| med | large |	View into a small collapse pit on the south side of Pu`u `O`o. The lava in the pit appears to be at a lower level than when it was first observed on June 1, perhaps reflecting lower lava discharge through the tube.

16-17 June 2000

| med | large |	| med | large |
Aerial view of the lava bench at the Waha`ula entry site. The long narrow bench is 30-50 m wide.	View is southwest from the east edge of the active flow field toward the Waha`ula entry.

| med | large |

One of many skylights along the lava-tube system between Pu`u `O`o and the sea. Beneath this skylight (2105 ft.) on top of Pulama pali, lava moves through the tube at a local speed of about 10 km/hr.

21 June 2000

| med | large |	| med | large |
Lava flows off the east end of the easternmost active bench. Large waves splash onto, and quench, the open channel, which then breaks open and gushes lava into the water.	Dusk view of lava rivulets pouring into the ocean at east end of the Waha`ula bench. The rivulets are as wide as that shown to the left, but the viewpoint is farther away.

| med | large |

Lava enters ocean at east end of Waha`ula bench (right) and heats the water. The warm water quickly evaporates, generating vapor that rises from the ocean surface tens of meters from the bench.

29 June 2000

| med | large |

New ledge with dark orange glow, only about 1 m below the surface, in skylight at the 2105-foot elevation above Pulama pali. The ledge indicates that the level of lava in the tube rose temporarily and then subsided, perhaps coincident with a surge (or tube blockage) and observed breakout at the 2250-foot elevation on June 25.

Large map. Map shows lava flows (red) on Pulama pali and coastal plain active since October 1999, as well as flows erupted earlier from Pu`u `O`o and Kupaianaha. Compare this map with that for the previous updates to see how the flow has widened eastward between Royal Gardens and Waha`ula. Lava reached the ocean at the Lae`apuki bench on December 17-18, 1999; this was known as the West flow. The West flow has been inactive since early April. The eastern part of the active flow field reached the Royal Gardens private access road on January 11 and entered the sea near Waha`ula on February 3-14, 2000. The flow descending Pulama pali to feed this area is the Smoke flow; it is currently the only active flow.

Eruption-viewing opportunities change constantly, so those readers planning a visit to the volcano should contact Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park for the most current eruption information (tel. 808-985-6000).