Kīlauea Eruption Update: Vent Changes & Ledge Flows, November 24, 2021

A new lava outlet which emerged 10 days ago from from Kīlauea's West Vent has become dominant in the past 2 days, coincident with a short-lived increase in the volcano's eruption rate. Lava continues to fill the rising lake, with a slight variation in circulation pattern across the active surface, and lift its large crusted portions from below. This triggers ooze-up flows along the perimeter of the crust where it meets the crater walls, which have now covered a substantial portion of the lowest ledge on the northern down-dropped block. We review these story-lines with the help of various webcams and monitoring data courtesy of the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, paired with our own video compilations filmed from the public Keanakākoʻi Overlook within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. As usual we visually annotate the scientific processes and discuss live viewer questions as we go. The eruption still poses no direct threat to people apart from its gas and particulates, shifting our focus to the observed processes and their context in volcano science. Epic views from the public overlook within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park document the changes, with every visitor experiencing a unique moment in its evolution. https://youtu.be/5giGGnkf1W8