IMAGE OF NOTE
OUR FITFUL PLANET
In May, for the first time in over 50 years,
fissures opened and lava poured from the
lower East Rift Zone of Hawaii’s Kilauea
volcano. A July flyover revealed a stark
contrast in the landscape: Winds blew heat
and gases southwest from an active lava
channel, severely damaging vegetation to the
south (at left) but sparing land to the north
(foreground). By mid-August, lava traveling
across the Big Island’s southeast corner
destroyed at least 700 homes and filled in
an entire bay, adding 875 acres to the island.
ERIK KLEMETTI; PHOTO BY USGS HAWAIIAN
VOLCANO OBSERVATORY HVO
January/February 2019^ DISCOVER^53