Piton Payenke August 2003 - pictures volcano Piton de la Fournaise, Reunion island

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Piton Payenke

August 2003

After swellings of La Fournaise during 5 month and the 4 phases of the eruption Kaf , a new seismic crisis is recorded the 08/22/2003, under the Dolomieu. At 9:00 pm, a first break opens in the Bory Crater and a second one opens at 10:10 pm on the North side between the Puy mi-Cote and the crater Celimen, at 2450 m of altitud.
These two breaks were active a short time. At 11:30 pm a third break opens at 2200m ofaltitud on the north side a few feet East from the Pit Kapor.
Arriving on the site of the eruption around 4:00am, it is a fabulous show ! Along the break,

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FLASH ANIMATIONS

fountains of lava over 30 meters high dance under the impulsion of gas pressure. Very quickly, the activity will be concentrated in the Kapor area.
In spite of an important debit, the lava flow issued from this break will not go far (2 km) till the Osmunds plain. The eruption can be seen from the Pas de Bellecombe and attracts a lot of tourists and locals, waiting for the authorized acces of the Enclos and going to the piton de Partage for a nice view. In the evening of the 08/23/03, projections of magma, a hundred meters high, have been seen, building an enormous cone by the pit Kapor. The Kapor born in 1998 (named the eruption of the century), seems tiny now. Such an edification as this new cone in less than a week has never been observed before. The authorization to access the Enclos is decided the 08/26/2003 in the morning at 6:00 am. Lots of people hurried toward the site of the eruption situated only 1 hour walking from the Pas de Bellecombe.
In the night of 08/27/2003, the eruption stopped suddenly.

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