...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM HST THIS EVENING...
* WHAT...Northeast winds 15 to 25 knots.
* WHERE...Oahu Leeward Waters and Maui County Leeward Waters.
* WHEN...Until 6 PM HST this evening.
* IMPACTS...Conditions will be hazardous to small craft.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Inexperienced mariners, especially those operating smaller
vessels, should avoid navigating in these conditions.
&&
A man talks on a phone in his car alongside Saddle Road as the Mauna Loa volcano erupts near Hilo, Hawaii.
Officials say lava is no longer a threat to a key Hawai'i Island highway right now.
HAWAII COUNTY, Hawaii (KITV4) -- The lava flow that has been slowly approaching the Daniel K. Inouye Highway on the Big Island is no longer expected to reach the highway, United States Geological Survey (USGS) officials said Thursday at the daily press briefing on the Mauna Loa eruption.
"That's good news for us, gives us a little bit more time before anything gets down to Daniel K. Inouye Highway, hopefully," Mayor Mitch Roth said.
In the Thursday update, USGS said the lava front was still 1.75 miles from the highway but that the lava supply from Fissure 3 is no longer feeding the flow front. Fissure 3 is still erupting, but the lava flows are localized around Fissure 3, closer to the vent, officials said. There is still no threat to any communities.
As of Thursday morning, the lava was collecting in the area around Fissure 3 at about 10,500 feet, and had not organized into a new downhill flow, according to the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency (HIEMA).
A big change overnight at Fissure 3 on Mauna Loa -- the eruption is NO LONGER feeding the lava flow that has been approaching the Daniel K. Inouye Highway (Saddle road), and lava is coming out at a lower rate Thursday morning. There's no imminent threat to any community. pic.twitter.com/seOUHzSvR9
Overnight, observers saw increased high fountains of lava shooting up from Fissure 3 – some blasting into the air as 500 feet – possibly indicating that it was partly obstructed.
"I was like whoa, those fountains look a little taller tonight, several hundreds of feet at least," said David Phillips, the deputy scientist-in-charge at U.S. Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO).
USGS personnel explained either a constriction in the vent or higher lava volumes contributed to the increased height of the lava fountains.
"We are still out there making observations and piecing together causes and effects," Phillips added.
But while the eruption continues, county officials said they will continue to be on alert because scientists say things could always change.
The Daniel K. Inouye Highway is a crucial road on Hawaii Island, linking the east and west sides of the islands.
Sulfur dioxide emissions remain high, USGS reported, adding tremor continues beneath the surface of the active fissure -- meaning magma is still being supplied, so activity is likely to continue.
The eruption is still expected to remain confined within the northeast rift zone.
Mauna Loa began erupting on Nov. 27. It was its first eruption in 38 years.
Mauna Loa is the world's largest active volcano. It stretches 10.5 miles from base to summit and takes up half the entire surface area of Hawaii's Big Island, according to the USGS.
Matthew has been the digital content manager for KITV4 since September 2021. Matthew is a prolific writer, editor, and self-described "newsie" who's worked in television markets in Oklahoma, California, and Hawaii.
'A'ali'i is a reporter with KITV. He was born and raised on the island of Maui and graduated from the University of Southern California with a bachelor's degree in Journalism.
