| Today we decided to take a quick trip up to the Thurston Lava Tube (right side of drawing above). A lava tube, as the name implies, is a continuous cave that is formed in solidified lava through which lava flows. For example, most of the lava flowing into the sea flows from the rift zone above through lava tubes to where it enters the sea. The lava doesn't often flow on the surface - until the tube gets plugged, then all bets are off! |
| Here's the skinny on the tube |
| This is the entrance |
| Can you imagine molten lava flowing through here at 2000 degrees? |
| Looking back at the entrance |
| Ironically, one of the reasons we went down into the lava tube was because the day was hot and the tube was nice and cool! |
| That morning as we left our house, we noticed that, for the first time, there were two steam clouds instead of one. Since we were already up at Kilauea, I decided to take a drive partway down Chain of Craters Road to see what was going on with the steam plume(s). |
| As we went by, Steaming Bluffs was really cooking as well as vents in the main caldera. |
| Sure enough, there were indeed two plumes. The one on the right is the one we walked out to photograph on 8/6. The one on the left is new. |
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Photos 2, page 14
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| August 27, 2006 |
Thurston Lava Tube & 2 steam plumes
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