Kilauea Lava Eruption in Hawaii

Erupting lava in crater of Puu Oo vent of Kilauea Volcano in Big Island of Hawaii. July 11, 2007

Pu'u O'o is a dynamic volcanic vent, so you may see different landscapes on its crater depending on when the video was taken. Its geologic features are continuously collapsing and rebuilding over very short periods of time.



More photos and videos:
http://volcanochaser.smugmug.com/

Eruption Update Info:
http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• Kilauea
• Pu'uO'o
• PuuOo
• lava
• eruption
• Hawaii

[gantonski]

what causes it to fling and slosh so much? And what is the density like of it? I feel like there either needs to be a lot of energy to slosh it, or the lava just isnt very dense..

[volcanochaser]

@gantonski The lava in Hawaii is basalt rock which is about three times the density of water. The energy comes from the volcanic gases, mainly water vapor, which are dissolved in the lava supply and were under extreme pressure many miles below. These gases expand violently when they reach the surface. Similar to steam explosions when a pressure vessel ruptures and there is nothing to contain the pressure.

[FLAME4564]

aah but thats where most of you are wrong since part of Hawaii is actualy a volcano itself thats sitting ontop of an active area deep beneath it.

[volcanochaser]

@FLAME4564 Wrong about what? All of the Hawaiian Islands, not just part, are volcanoes which erupted from the same hot spot as the Pacific crustal plate moved over it. Kilauea, Mauana Loa, and Loiihi are still over the hot spot and active.

[volcanochaser]

@Cheesetoon Yes, the center is hotter. The bottom is cooled first by the underlying old rock, then the air cools the sides and top and forms a solid crust. The crust insulates the interior and keeps it hot and liquid. You can often see the glowing interior through cracks in the crust.

[Cheesetoon]

@volcanochaser so is the center of the flow hotter than the outside?

[volcanochaser]

@Cheesetoon Larger flows hold the temperature better than smaller flows, so a larger flow will be able to travel farther. As the outer edges and the top solidify, it forms a thick crust that insulates the liquid lava underneath and it is able to travel long distances inside self-made tubes without losing much heat. You can see grayish pieces of crust floating on top in many videos, showing that the lava solidifies when it is cooled by the colder air.

[volcanochaser]

@Cheesetoon When lava comes out of the earth at slightly higher than 2000 degrees Fahrenheit, it is already close to becoming solid. It just happens that that is the “freezing” temperature of lava. This would be similar to water freezing into ice at 32 degrees. Both liquid water and ice water can coexist at 32 degrees until all of the water becomes solid ice.

[volcanochaser]

@Cheesetoon I couldn’t find much information about where the higher temperature lavas are found other than the basaltic lavas in Hawaii are in the upper range.

[Cheesetoon]

i have another question. i was wondering where the hottest lava remains. ive heard that the lava in hawaii is some of the hottest, but on another one of your videos, you said that the lava in hawaii is really close to becoming solid. am i mistaken?