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From: bob@uhmanoa.UUCP
Newsgroups: sci.misc
Subject: Kilauea status
Message-ID: <256@uhmanoa.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 24-Feb-87 13:49:45 EST
Article-I.D.: uhmanoa.256
Posted: Tue Feb 24 13:49:45 1987
Date-Received: Fri, 27-Feb-87 05:28:38 EST
Organization: Hawaii Institute of Geophysics
Lines: 30
Keywords: volcanoes

This is the 222nd day of the 48th phase of the current eruption of Kilauea
volcano on the island of Hawaii.

There have been no recent changes in summit swelling or movement of magma
down the rift zone, indicating that the current outflow of 650,000 cubic
meters per day---which has continued at that volume for roughly six months
now---will probably not change soon.

On the surface, however, the current flow has again reached all the way
down below the 450' elevation and again threatens parts of the Royal
Gardens subdivision and the town of Kapaahu.

Civil Defense officials last night evacuated five homes near the eastern
boundary of the Royal Gardens subdivision and notified other residents that
evacuation may be imminent, as brush fires caused by the nearby lava flows
moved to within 1,000' of their houses.

Although the lava flow appeared to slow as it reached a flat area bout a
half mile to the east of the houses, the molten rock ignited the dry brush
ahead of it.  A controlled backfire is being considered.  Smoke from the
fires hampered tracking of the flow itself as it continued down the
mountainside.

The flow is about a mile and a half from the new Kalapana Bypass Highway,
opened up less than two weeks ago, after lava covered the main coastal
highway some 8 weeks ago.  But, currently the flow is moving very slowly,
and may or may not cover the highway.
-- 
Bob Cunningham
bob@hig.hawaii.edu