As of now, the eruption in Puna is ongoing with no immediate end in sight.
Voluminous lava is flowing in a channel and has completely filled in Kapoho
Bay. Over 600 hundred homes have been lost due to the lava flow. Explosions
have been occurring at Halemaumau Crater on a daily basis. These explosions
have compromised the structural integrity of Jaggar Museum and all relics have been removed from the museum.
In all probability the museum will have to be moved to another location. The
National Park has been closed for the past six weeks and its reopening will not
occur until well into the future.
The effect of the eruption on the Kona
area largely depends on the winds. If the trades are active the Sulfur Dioxide
and particulate concentrations are bearable for almost everyone. If the trades
stop, then the high concentrations of those contaminants become dangerous. Consequently one has
to be aware of meteorological conditions.
The end of the eruption cannot be
predicted. The only encouraging sign that I see is that the time between
explosions at Halemaumau has increased, so that it appears to be taking longer
for pressure to build up and cause an
explosion. That, of course, says nothing about the lava flowing in Puna.
