Loading ...By now most of you have seen the national news about a lava tour boat that was too close to a shoreline explosion and took a ‘lava bomb’ thru the aluminum canopy roof of the boat, injuring 23 people. One in the hospital yet with a broken leg. Story is here:
https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-07-17/lava-bomb-creates-bedlam-terror-it-slams-sightseeing-boat
I believe this explosion was caused by the new ‘island’ I posted here a day or two back. That underwater lava tube feeding that little offshore island very likely cracked open, exposing ALL the lava in the pipe to the seawater all at once, and you get a tremendous steam explosion with flying bits of rock and lava. That was by far the largest water-entry explosion we have seen with this eruption. That’s why it fooled the boat operator. The shoreline has not behaved this explosively along the entire waterfront yet… until now. New rules now… 300 yards offshore for the boats.
The helicopter pilots learned this lesson back in 1983 with the Pu’u O’o vent… you don’t fly over the vent even if it is ‘tame’, because a gas bubble can spray a fountain 1000 feet into the air quite unpredictably. There is a Temporary Flight Restriction above the lava area up to 3,000 feet now. Tour helicopters must stay higher than 3,000 feet in the affected area.
Pele is to be admired… from a safe distance.