bob@uhmanoa.UUCP (Bob Cunningham) (12/06/87)
There are now three lava flows rolling down the eastern slope of Kilauea Volcano---as of yesterday---but only one was making any appreciable advance. The flow near what used to be the entrance to Royal Gardens subdivision and the blocked Chain of Craters Road was the most active. It is probably too soon to guess if that flow will eventually reach the ocean. Several lava flows that poured into the water for seven weeks stopped a week ago; since then lava activity has been higher up the slope towards the vent. There are reportedly "a lot of small breakouts" further up the slope where Kilauea continues the 48th phase (which started 18 July 1986), of the current eruption. Kilauea continues to produce more than 500,000 cubic meters of lava a day. Apropos of other Hawaiian volcanos: Mauna Loa is not erupting, Loihi probably is continuing its eruption. -- Bob Cunningham bob@loihi.hig.hawaii.edu