How Can I See Lava on Big Island
UPDATE: As of February 15th the top eruption in the Halema'uma'u crater has paused over again. Short 1-3 day breaks in lava lake activity are common this eruption bike and are associated with so-called "DI (deflation and aggrandizement) events" – a chip like when you kink a water hose. Typically the lava lake comes to life again with the next aggrandizement cycle. Read more about seeing the lava lake here.
Lava viewing is a must-practice activity if you are lucky plenty to be on the Big Island while ane of the volcanoes is actively erupting. Hawaii wouldn't exist if information technology were not for the continuous volcanic activity that created all the islands, and seeing this happening in "existent-time" is, for many people, a in one case in a lifetime experience.
Tabular array of Contents
- Lava FAQ
- Is there lava now?
- Lava tours and DIY lava viewing
- Where to see lava now (2022)
- The Kilauea Volcano: Ongoing and Past eruptions
- Lava safety
Lava Questions and Answers
We strive to make our lava viewing guide equally complete as possible, which ways that it sometimes can be difficult to chop-chop notice the data you lot are looking for. Because of this we answer some of the nigh asked (and answered!) questions about seeing lava in Hawaii below:
Yeah! The currently ongoing eruption is contained within the Halemaʻumaʻu crater. Check out our often updated viewing tips for how to best run into the lava.
The current eruption is located within the Halemaʻumaʻu crater and hiking at that place is not possible. Likewise encounter our guide to hiking to the lava flow to learn about your options when lava moves exterior of the crater.
We do not recommend paying for a lava tour if your only goal is to see lava because you tin easily and safely do this yourself. If you are rather looking for the added value of an "everything arranged" day bout where you learn nearly and come across many aspects of our volcanoes have a look at our guided volcano tours department.
Short respond: no. Lava boat tours are merely organized when lava flows into the bounding main. For a longer reply meet our tips for choosing a lava boat tour
Post-obit condom directions provided by the Hawaii Volcano National Park staff will allow you to see agile eruptions from a safe distance. Read more virtually how to see lava yourself on our website.
Where is the lava located?
At approximately 3:twenty p.m. HST on September 29, 2022 Kīlauea volcano resumed its eruption at the Halemaʻumaʻu crater. Read more than about the ongoing eruption here.
This ways that the answer to the question "tin we see lava in Hawaii?" is "yes!".
-> Electric current eruption status: there is an agile lava lake in the Halemaʻumaʻu crater.
The Keanakākoʻi viewing area is i of the all-time places to see the glow only can get busy. Endeavour arriving late (after 9 pm) or before sunrise to skip the crowds. NPS Photo/J.Wei
The remainder of our guide is relevant simply when lava is visible on the surface.
Lava tours and how to run across the lava yourself
Seeing the lava up-shut-and-personal is an experience that few people always forget. How close you can become to the lava depends on where the flow is agile, and what lava viewing locations are accessible. Admission to the flow could be restricted if local weather condition are deemed unsafe or the path to the flow crosses individual state. Nigh of the fourth dimension the volcanoes on Hawaii erupt at a very calm pace (with 'aloha' if you will), and information technology is quite easy to go close to the action. We give a very short summary of all options yous have to encounter the lava beneath:
- From upward-close equally it flows over the land and/or into the ocean. Conditions permitting, your options are:
- A (guided) lava hike, and
- An ocean lava boat tour.
- From a distance, e.chiliad. with:
- A helicopter tour or
- From a public viewing area / seeing the glow.
- No lava? no trouble!
- See the aftermath of the 2022 LERZ eruption
- Or get explore lava tubes and other volcanic remnants
one: Hiking to the Lava: Guided Tours and DIY (when possible)
Hiking to the lava is the best way to go upwards shut. Sometimes, however, lava hikes are non possible because there either is no lava flowing on the surface, or admission to the site of the eruption is too unsafe or crosses private lands.
IF access to the flow is possible AND it is on public land yous will be able to find several companies that offer guided hikes to the lava menses during daytime or at nighttime.
We describe beneath both:
- how to hike to the lava yourself, and
- When, why, and how to choose a guided lava bout.
Hiking tours to the lava menstruum tin exist tiresome but are worth every driblet of sweat!
Hiking to the lava yourself
Sometimes it is pretty straightforward to find your style to the lava yourself and it is proficient to recollect that it is not mandatory to bring together a lava viewing tour to see the lava. If you do plan for a DIY chance please make sure to educate yourself on the risks, to apparel properly, and to bring plenty of h2o and sunscreen. A skillful identify to start doing this is past checking out our lava hiking safety affiliate.
Likewise safety, the virtually important distinction that determines whether you can hike out to the lava yourself is where the lava is flowing:
- Are the surface flows inside the national park boundaries? Yay! If the park determines that admission to the menstruum is safe you tin keep a hike to see the lava. Because viewing conditions change on a daily basis you should look up the most recent data nearly the active surface flows shortly before you program to run into the lava yourself. The Hawaii Volcanoes National Park Visitor Center and the "what's going on with the Volcano" spider web page of the Volcanoes National Park are good places to do so.
- Are the surface flows on privately owned lands? If the lava is outside of the park boundaries in that location is a good gamble information technology is on privately endemic lands and that you will be trespassing while hiking out. Make sure to get proper permission from the land owners before hiking up to these spots! By far the easiest way to encounter the lava in this case is to enlist a lava tour guide with proper permissions.
The following video past Ph.D. student-turned-filmmaker Tyler Hulett titled "Dawn of Fire" shows a time-lapse video of the slow-moving lava flows of the Kilauea volcano. This gives a expert representation of what you might see when hiking to the lava:
This is ane of our favorite videos to sentry! It lets y'all become lost in the lava landscapes of the Kilauea volcano and even after dozens of repeat views we clicking back for more than.
Guided Lava Tours
Guided lava tours offering know-how, equipment, and access to restricted terrains where needed. Their guides are trained professionals that know the area intimately. The added value of using a lava tour guide is of course rubber, but also getting to know the extremely interesting background information they can provide almost the eruption, and, of course, the peace of heed of making a safety trek without getting lost.
These tours can last from 1 60 minutes up to a whole day depending on how accessible the lava is. The hike well-nigh ever takes you over very uneven terrain it is important to have an honest conversation with the guides beforehand to brand certain you are physically able to complete the hike.
A good option for a guided lava tour that explores the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and stays in the park afterwards dark to run across the glow is the "Twilight Volcano Unveiled" tour by Hawaii Forest & Trail:
Suggested tour
Twilight Volcano Unveiled (Hawaii Volcanoes National Park)
The near in-depth volcano experience on the Island of Hawaiʻi! A national park certified guide shares a mix of natural and cultural history virtually the isle'due south germination, illuminating the stories backside the ever-irresolute landscape of our island home.
from: $245 Details
A larger list of outfitters that organize hikes to the lava can be plant on the price comparison website hawaiiactivities1. These hiking tours are sometimes combined with other activities so make sure to thoroughly read the descriptions before booking.
Booking a lava hike tour far in advance is risky because at the time of your visit the lava may accept stopped flowing. We strongly recommend to that you carefully review the cancellation weather and, if they are strict, not to volume these tours more than a few weeks in advance.
Visiting the Lava with a professional guide is a spectacular experience
ii: Lava viewing from the ocean: lava boat tours (currently not possible)
If lava is flowing into the bounding main you can enjoy viewing information technology from a close, safe altitude by gunkhole. Definitely a unique and thrilling experience!
Lava boat tours without limited entry approval from the US Coast Baby-sit must continue a distance of 300 meters (984 feet) from the sea entry point, and outside the designated safety zone (source). Under special circumstances tour operators are granted permission into the lava safe zone and tin get closer to the betoken of ocean entry.
Lava enters the ocean while a lava gunkhole gets close to the action. Photo taken in 2022 during the 61g Kamokuna ocean entry.
Safety and licensed lava gunkhole tour operators
In that location are many possible risks when trying to run across lava enter the ocean which nosotros describe in our lava bounding main entry safety guide and it is important that y'all choose your lava boat tour with intendance because of the many risks associated with seeing lava this way.
Make sure to ever check if your tour operator is licensed to ensure that they possess the feel and preparation required to go you to the viewing area and back safely.
3: See the lava with a helicopter tour
Helicopter tours permit yous see the lava and volcanoes from above. A helicopter tin get you close to a lot of activity that is not accessible over state or h2o and gives you lot an impressive birds-eye perspective. Think, for case, about a look into the crater lake, seeing surface lava flows from the air, or lava burning through forests.
Helicopter tours are your all-time bet to run across the lava when other ways such as a hike or boat tour are non possible because they are able to keep a safe distance while all the same offer an amazing perspective. If this is the case you should programme ahead because helicopter tours can make full weeks in advance!
Tours that take you to see the lava depart from both Hilo and Kona – the ones from Hilo are shorter and more affordable. Nonetheless, helicopter tours are not inexpensive. The so-called "volcanoes and waterfalls" tours from Hilo start at around $335 for ~55 minutes of flight time.
Suggested tour
Helicopter tours from Hilo
A Helicopter bout to run across lava, rainforest and waterfalls. Observe what Kīlauea Volcano has left backside in the wake of its recent historic eruptive episode.
from: $399 Details
Paradise Helicopters (external link) organizes tours that leave from both Hilo and Kona. Run into as well our own guide to helicopter tours on the Big Island for an overview of all helicopter tour operators and tour options.
4: Lava viewing at Public Viewing Areas
Most of the time when lava is flowing on the surface information technology is possible to see information technology at a condom distance from a public viewing area. From these areas active lava tin exist visible direct, or is accessible with a (curt) hike. Public viewing opportunities change all the time but an instance is the Steaming Bluff overlook of the Halemaʻumaʻu crater in the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.
How to see the glow in the Halemaʻumaʻu Crater (September 2022 eruption)
Currently at that place is an active lava lake in the Halemaʻumaʻu crater. At times you tin can see a sliver of the lake surface from public viewing areas only the master draw is the overwhelming red glow from the lava lake that illuminates the crater walls and the clouds above the lake.
Depending on the conditions (the fourth dimension of day, the surface and the temperature of the lava lake, and the amount of clouds and their height to a higher place the lake) this glow can be seen from miles away. Nevertheless, the about spectacular views are ever available from several of the public viewing areas effectually the crater.
Our favorite views of the Halemaʻumaʻu crater are from the Kilauea Overlook and the Steaming Barefaced overlook, stop #2 on the Crater Rim Drive tour.
During daytime you lot can run into a sometimes impressive plume coming from the crater but the view is truly breathtaking before sunrise and subsequently sunset. At nighttime, the glow of the lava lake colors the steam reddish, and if the weather is clear this blood-cerise plume is set against a sky full of stars.
The lava lake is visible from the Kīlauea Overlook, from Uēkahuna (currently airtight to protect a pair of native geese that are nesting in the surface area), and from Keanakāko'i.
The glow from the Halemaʻumaʻu crater at night in the Volcanoes National Park, seen from the now airtight Jaggar Museum overlook.
There is an element of luck involved in trying to see the lava like this because of frequent rains and fog. Weather here at the summit tin can modify quickly though, then try waiting it out for ~30 minutes to see if it clears upwardly.
Please follow the post-obit recommendations to ensure you and all people visiting the park stay as condom equally possible:
- Volcanic eruptions tin be hazardous and alter at any time. Stay on marked trails and overlooks, and avoid globe cracks and cliff edges. Do not enter closed areas.
- Hazardous volcanic gases are billowing out the crater and present a danger to everyone, particularly people with eye or respiratory problems, infants, young children and pregnant women.
- Tiresome down and drive safely. Expect long waits for parking spaces at popular vantage points like Kīlauea Overlook and/or check the parking lot overview on the national park website to see when the typical decorated times are.
- Maintain social altitude of six anxiety from others and article of clothing a mask to reduce the spread of COVID-19.
- At ane,219 meters, (4,000 anxiety), the summit of Kīlauea can be chilly at any time. Bring a rain jacket, wear long pants and closed-toe shoes.
five: Meet the aftermath of the 2022 LERZ eruption
The 2022 Lower E Rift Zone (LERZ) eruption zone is a very interesting place to visit, every bit it offers a sobering perspective on the impact of eruptions on the local people and environmental of the island.
Starting in Pahoa you can end in for a look at the Pahoa Lava Zone Museum. This is a pocket-sized building featuring artifacts from the last eruption, photographs taken by locals, and exhibits from the now-abased Jaggar museum.
From Pahoa y'all can then follow Highway 132 to the South/East. This road was only recently rebuild over the withal-cooling lava flows that covered information technology in 2022 and information technology provides some of the best impressions. You can follow this road up to a point that used to be called "four Corners", but now is only one corner and the end of the road. Exist careful with parking and touching the ground because the rocks in the area can still be very hot. From here you lot tin see a panorama of miles of new lava rock. With articulate weather yous can encounter all the mode to the ocean.
Y'all take probably heard about Leilani Estates, ground zero of the 2022 LERZ eruption and home to Ahu'aila'au (at the time known but as "Cleft 8"). Leilani Estates is still a residential neighborhood and all roads except for Leilani Avenue are individual. Y'all cannot park forth Leilani Artery and the people living here don't appreciate what they perceive as disaster tourism. Please show consideration for the residents and don't drive into the neighborhood. Y'all can run across enough of the expanse while post-obit Highway 130 to the Southward from Pahoa, for example at Lava Tree State Monument.
Following Hwy 130 farther Due south brings y'all to Kalapana, after which you tin can drive upwards Highway 137 to Pohoiki which was nearly covered by the Leilani Eruption, and has massively changed as a event. This is 1 of our favorite scenic drives on the island!
Finally, you lot can likewise explore some of the backdrop that were (partially) inundated by lave during the 2022 LERZ eruption as part of a guided tour. See the LERZ4 website for more information.
6: No lava on the surface? No worries!
Fifty-fifty when there are no surface flows, yous can however engage in extremely interesting activities to larn most lava and the cultural and natural history of the volcanoes of Hawaiʻi. Afterwards all, the Large Island is 100% created by volcanic eruptions, and you lot don't need to see red-hot lava to be amazed by all the remnants of its creation!
A visit to the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and/or one of the many lava tubes on our island are good places to start.
Another selection is a guided tour. The advantage of these tours is that their guides are expertly trained and provide a wealth of volcano-related information. Volcano-related tours mostly take you on fascinating hikes through the park, private lava tubes, and many other stunning places that are difficult to find or reach without a guide.
We list some very well-respected tour operators that offers these tours in our volcano tours department.
Where to encounter lava at present (2022)
Currently there is an active lava lake in the Halemaʻumaʻu crater. During daytime you can see a sometimes impressive plumage coming from the crater but the view is truly scenic before sunrise and later sunset.
At dark, the glow of the lava lake colors the steam crimson, and if the weather is clear this crimson plumage is set against a sky full of stars. Additionally slivers of the lava lake and occasional fountaining activity are at present visible from several vantage points in the park.
Recommended lava lake viewing locations:
The following three locations are our favorite spots to go and see the current eruption. Their popularity means that they tin get very crowded during elevation hours which are between six p.grand. and 9 p.m. – avoid these times to avoid the crowds.
The park is open 24 hours a twenty-four hour period, and viewing is exemplary both before sunrise and afterwards 9 p.m., conditions permitting.
- The recently opened lava viewing area just before Keanakākoʻi Crater. You can get here only after a one-mile walk from Destruction Trail parking lot along old Crater Rim Drive to the viewing area, which is marked past orange candlestick posts. The terrain is rocky and uneven terrain, and bringing a expert flashlight after dark is a must! This location is the closest you can safely go to the lava lake, which is about a half mile away. If the Destruction Trail parking lot is full y'all can park at Puʻupuaʻi and walk an actress half-mile to the Devastation Trail parking lot, to the Crater Rim Drive/Chain of Craters Route intersection, and out to Keanakākoʻi.
The lava lake in the Halemaʻumaʻu crater as it can be seen from the eruption viewing area near Keanakākoʻi Overlook on Nov 13, 2021. Image credit: NPS photo/Janice Wei
- Another excellent spot to run into a department of the lava lake is from Uēkahuna, the pali (cliffs) virtually the former Jaggar Museum site. More parking is available here, and information technology's a short walk on the Crater Rim Trail to the left of the parking lot to the viewing site.
- Every bit of October 24th 2021, the slowly rising lava lake can likewise been seen from the Kilauea overlook.
Run across the Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park website for a proficient summary of all six overlook locations.
Safe recommendations
Delight follow the following recommendations to ensure you and all people visiting the park stay every bit safe as possible:
- Volcanic eruptions tin can exist hazardous and change at any fourth dimension. Stay on marked trails and overlooks, and avoid globe cracks and cliff edges. Do non enter closed areas.
- Hazardous volcanic gases are billowing out the crater and present a danger to everyone, especially people with heart or respiratory problems, infants, young children and meaning women.
- Wearisome down and drive safely. Expect long waits for parking spaces at popular vantage points like Kīlauea Overlook.
- Maintain social distance of six feet from others and vesture a mask to reduce the spread of COVID-xix.
- At 1,219 meters, (iv,000 feet), the summit of Kīlauea can be chilly at any time. Bring a rain jacket, wear long pants and airtight-toe shoes.
Kilauea: ongoing and historic eruptions
There are v (!) active volcanoes in the state of Hawaiʻi: four on the Big Island (Mauna Loa, Kilauea, Hualalai and, still nether water but ever growing, Kama'ehuakanaloa) and one on Maui (Haleakalā). The Kilauea volcano is one of the most active volcanoes in the world and is currently erupting.
We summarize for you below the eruptions that took identify during the last 100 years:
- The September 29, 2022 eruption in the Halemaʻumaʻu crater
- The Dec 20, 2022 eruption in the Halemaʻumaʻu crater
- The lower East Rift Zone (LERZ) eruption (2018)
- The 61g eruption (2016 – 2018)
- 7 earlier eruptions
- How to best check the eruption progress yourself (online resource)
one: The September 29, 2022 eruption in the Halemaʻumaʻu crater [ongoing]
At approximately 3:20 p.m. HST on September 29, 2022 Kīlauea resumed the previous summit eruption. The lake has been steadily refilling for over ii months now, and has risen by 65 meters (213 ft) since lava emerged.
How to encounter the lava
Y'all tin can now come across a small part of the lava lake from public viewing areas in the park, but the real allure is the glow coming off the lake and reflecting on the clouds above. Nighttime is the best time to visit for this!
Online resources
In the meantime hither are the best places to cheque for live webcams and the latest updates:
- Kīlauea Summit webcams: https://www.usgs.gov/volcanoes/kilauea/superlative-webcams
- Hawaii Volcano Observatory Kīlauea activity summary page: https://www.usgs.gov/volcanoes/kilauea/volcano-updates (also bachelor by telephone: (808) 967-8862).
September 29, 2021: Vigorous lava fountains formed in the centre part of the lava lake that was active in Halemaʻumaʻu crater from December 2022 until May 2021. The lava fountains fed lava flows that quickly covered the unabridged flooring of Halemaʻumaʻu crater. USGS epitome.
two: The December 20, 2022 eruption in the Halemaʻumaʻu crater [ended]
The nigh recent eruption inside the Kīlauea'south peak caldera lasted from December 20, 2022 to mid-May 2021. The water lake that was previously forming in Halemaʻumaʻu disappeared and was replaced by a lake of lava. As of May 26, the Hawaii Volcano Observatory announced that the Kilauea Volcano is no longer erupting. Lava supply to the Halemaʻumaʻu lava lake has ceased and sulfur dioxide emissions have decreased to most pre-eruption background levels.
This photo, taken on January nineteen 2021, shows the slowly filling up Halemʻaumaʻu crater lava lake. This photo was taken by a HVO scientist from a for the public inaccessible part of the park. USGS photograph by. H. Dietterich (public domain).
3: Kīlauea Volcano lower East Rift Zone / Lower Puna eruption [2018 LERZ]
The Kīlauea Volcano lower Due east Rift Zone (LERZ) eruption in lower Puna was preceded by the collapse of the Puʻu ʻŌʻō vent on April 30th and the onset of the draining of the Halamaʻumaʻu lava lake on May second. On the 3rd of May 2022 several fissures in the Leilani Estates subdivision opened, marking the offset of this new eruptive episode that didn't stop until early on September 2018: the Lower East Rift Zone eruption.
You can also find a really interesting summary of the LERZ eruption summarizing things that nosotros take learned from this event in the journal of Science (our tip: start by browsing the figures and reading the chapter called "Synthesis of 2022 activity" to get a adept overview of the article contents). Another good place to larn more is past this cool narrative put together past the USGS.
The 2022 Lower Due east Rift Zone eruption in numbers:
- 13.vii square miles of land inundated by lava (the surface of nigh 6631 football game fields!)
- 875 acres of new country created by ocean entries
- 716 dwellings destroyed by lava
- ~30 miles of roads covered by lava
- ~i billion cubic yards of lava erupted (enough to fill at least 320,000 Olympic-size swimming pools!)
- ~60,000 earthquakes between April 30–August iv, 2018
Videos of the 2022 LERZ eruption
The all-time way of getting to know a volcano is to meet it, and the same goes for individual eruptions. Many impressive and educational videos have been made about this eruption, just we highlight 1 here
ʻAilaʻau: Wood Eater
This is a short motion-picture show by Lance Folio from Page Films that takes viewers on a journey through the infamous 2022 eruption of Kilauea's lower east rift zone. No text but 8 minutes of mesmerizing footage and sounds that make y'all experience similar you were there. Highly recommended!
iv: The 61g lava flow [2016-2018]
A breakout from the due east flank of Pu'u 'Ō'ō on May 24, 2022 marked the end of some other crack eruption on the flank of the Puʻu ʻŌʻō which started almost 2 years earlier on June 27, 2014. This was just in time for nearby residents, as the June 27th flow came very shut to reaching the city of Pahoa.
This breakout was later named the 61g flow (Episode 61, "thousand" lava flow). It reached the base of the Pulama Pali by the finish of June and entered the sea at Kamokuna on July 26, 2016.
Between July 2022 and March 2022 it was possible to see the bounding main entry of lava menses 61g close to Kamukuna both from land and from the sea. In March the up-to-and so stable ocean-entry plume stopped existence visible, and the Puʻu ʻŌʻō crater plummet on April 30th, 2022 marked the end of the 61g eruption.
The 61g eruption was peculiarly easy to see considering the lava was tiresome-moving and accessible from both sides within the park. The presence of a nearby gravel route made the hike to the flow relatively easy and even allowed bike rentals to operate!
Past eruptions betwixt 1924 and 2018
Kilauea is the youngest and about active Volcano in the state of Hawaii. The oldest lava flows belonging to Kilauea are dated between 210,000 and 280,000 years ago which is pretty immature for a volcano. Its eruptions over the last yard years have shaped the whole south east side of the island and cover well-nigh xc% of its surface.
The last 100 years of volcanic activity tin can exist divided in vii eruptions. Click on the link in each episode to read an interesting summary on the USGS website.
The Island of Hawai'i with lava flows erupted in approximately the past 1,000 years shown in reddish. Image credit: USGS
- The May 1924 explosive eruption of Kīlauea in Halemaʻumaʻu (with the most powerful explosions at Kīlauea since the early on 19th century)
- The Kīlauea 1955 Lower East Rift Zone Eruption in Lower Puna (the first eruption in historic times to occur in any populous surface area in a U.Southward. territory)
- The 1959 eruption of the Kīlauea Iki Crater (580 m (1,900 ft) high lava fountains!)
- The 1960 Kapoho eruption (when barriers were built in an attempt to divert lava flows)
- The 1969-1974 Mauna Ulu Eruption (with lava falls higher than Niagara)
- The Kīlauea's summit eruption, 2008 – 2018 (lava lake viewing at the pinnacle!)
- The 1983 – 2018 Pu'u 'Ō'ō Eruption (read more about the latest ii episodes below)
Did you lot know the air force in one case bombed a lava flow that threatened Hilo in 1935? Read about the Volcanic History of Hawaii in our blog if y'all want to learn more about the history of all 6 Big Isle volcanoes, or the chapter below to larn virtually the near contempo eruptive episodes of the Kilauea volcano:
four: All-time online resource to monitor the eruption progress:
You tin find a plethora of information about ongoing eruptions online, though non all of it is right. Unfortunately, many news outlets over-sensationalize events for their own profits, which leads to a lot of misinformation.
Two official (USGS) resources that nosotros keep an eye on and that tin help you lot keep up-to-date with the condition of possible ongoing eruptions are:
- The daily Kilauea volcano lava menses update
- The often updated USGS multimedia gallery.
Rubber and Applied Information for seeing the lava
Volcanic fumes are hazardous to your health. Persons at run a risk of respiratory problems or with center bug, meaning women, infants, and elderly people, are all discouraged from engaging in this activity. Getting shut to the lava flow is both spectacular and risky and information technology is very important to realize that hiking out to the lava unprepared can put you in damage'due south way.
You can utilize the following resources to learn about these condom hazards and how to avoid them:
- Lava safety (hiking)
- ocean entry hazards
- Vog (volcanic smog)
1: Hiking to the lava: stay out of closed areas and exist prepared!
We recommended that you wear comfy socks and walking shoes or hiking boots when hiking out. Pack sunscreen and h2o together with your camera. If you lot plan to view the lava flow after dusk, remember to bring ane flashlight per person and replacement batteries. The Kilauea is a dynamic volcano, and lava viewing conditions change daily. Even if a viewing surface area is organized by the National Park, this does not guarantee shut access of the lava. Often a 1+ hour hike over hazardous terrain is necessary to reach the period forepart of the lava.
If you want to be well prepared take four minutes and watch this video nigh safe lava viewing of ocean entries made by the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park staff. It is especially good to watch if you want to get as shut as possible to lava ocean entries while staying condom:
Official "Lava Prophylactic" tips from Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park
We can't overemphasize being prepared for the hike. Far also many times, ill-prepared people (most oft tourists) go on a lava hike wearing sandals and flip flops. Such footwear is non advisable or safe for the crude lava surfaces, and wearing them may force y'all to return dwelling house prematurely without having seen the lava. If yous plan on staying past dusk (and we highly recommend this), each person should deport their own flashlight for the walk back (see "Guided lava tours").
ii: Condom concerns at the lava sea entry
Please be enlightened that lava ocean entries can create extremely dangerous conditions. The two principal concerns regarding your safety if y'all want to run into the lava period into the ocean are:
- The stability of the new land y'all are continuing on (the lava bench)
- The noxious gasses that are released when the lava meets the ocean.
Stability of the new land
Newly created land is inherently unstable and much of the new land volition collapse dorsum into the ocean afterward a while.
Park rangers keep a shut eye on the stability of the lava bench and limit the lava viewing area based on what they judge to exist safe. This condom altitude is based on visual inspection and thermal imaging and is was ready, for example, at 1/two mile or 820 meters for the now now inactive Kamokuna episode (see epitome below).
On May 3rd a large part of the Kamokuna lava delta collapsed into the sea within minutes. Collapsing lava benches can crusade a small seismic sea wave and the associated explosions tin can bung hot rocks over a large distance. Credit all images: USGS
Collapses like this may even trigger pocket-size tsunamis of scalding hot water. Delight follow any instructions given by park rangers regarding a safe viewing distance.
Noxious Gases
Information technology is very important to stay abroad from the feather when you lot are watching the lava enter the ocean. In general, the wind carries this noxious bounding main entry feather offshore and out to ocean during nighttime and early on mornings. From mid-morning through belatedly afternoon the current of air sometimes shifts and carries the plume onshore/along the coast.
The white plume is very hot and contains super-heated steam and many chemicals that range from unhealthy to lethal. The h2o droplets in the plume tin can be as corrosive as battery acid. Read more about the dangers of scalding water, steam plumes and poor air quality on the USGS website.
3: Vog (volcanic air pollution)
Contrary to what many may expect, the Big Island has problems with air pollution during active surface flows. This volcanic pollution is chosen 'vog', a blend of the words "smog", "fog" and "volcanic", and it is so normal here that information technology is part of the common linguistic communication on the Hawaiian Islands.
Vog is a form of hazy air pollution much like smog. It is created when sulfur dioxide gas emitted by the Kilauea volcano reacts with oxygen and wet in the presence of sunlight. Just like smog, in that location are certain health hazards associated with vog.
You tin find voggy conditions in the downwind direction of all eruptive sites. Because the ascendant air current directions are east and north-eastward, the areas nearly affected by fog are those south and southwest of these sites. The USGS has teamed upwards with IVHHN/Durham university and HDOH to form the Interagency Vog Dashboard where you can find specific vog advice for visitors to Hawaiʻi.
1. Nosotros are part of the hawaiiactivities chapter program. Read more about our participation. ↩
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Source: https://www.lovebigisland.com/big-island-lava-viewing/
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