August 8 Pele continued her march to the sea in the two months since our last eruption update through Volcano Watch . Lava reached the ocean on July 12 and occasionally since then. Also, lava flows were emplaced north and west of Royal Gardens but are not presently threatening any residential areas. Eruptive activity has been focused at three main vents. It intermittently produces large flows that enter the pond occupying the eastern crater floor.
Subterranean cracks drain the pond as fast as it fills.
Periodically the cracks became blocked, causing the pond to fill and overtop the crater rim. On several occasions, lava in the crater has risen until it overflows through the gap in the west wall of the cone and also through the old southeast spillway. On August 6, the pond overflowed eastward to form a lobate sheet that reached for nearly a mile. None of these flows was active for more than three hours because the pond resumes its draining, which interrupts the overflow process. South shield has been the prolific producer of flows that mantle the flow field, including all large flows produced in July and early August.