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when the wind is blowing o'er the lava flow toward my house, I smell something that's a lot like tobacco.
Occasionally, it smells just like my dad's pipe tobacco (Sir Walter Raleigh, as I recall).
Is there a lot of tobacco growing wild out there, or is it some kind of chaparral?
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Maybe a sandalwood tree was burning....
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I thought the sandalwood was all gone, nice to know some survived.
I've been smelling this on and off for a couple weeks. Must be a whole forest of saplings burning.
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Even though the surface vegetation has been burned or killed, many downed trees are partially or fully buried and continue to burn for a long time because the oxygen supply is restricted. Also, as the ground is heated by the overlying lava, the deep root systems and all the organic matter in the soil continue to burn for a long time. Coupled with rain water which seeps down and then evaporates from the heat, the water vapor will bring up the odors as it percolates to the surface and is carried by the wind. I would describe this odor as mildewy or moldy when hiking along burned areas. Some examples:
http://volcanochaser.smugmug.com/Nature/Big-Island-2002/3428721_stH7RF#!i=192262012&k=vLT96jw&lb=1&s=A
http://volcanochaser.smugmug.com/Nature/Big-Island-2008/4154780_rXcVb7#!i=242014290&k=xt93fwD&lb=1&s=A
http://volcanochaser.smugmug.com/Nature/Big-Island-2009/7777104_VkVdNT#!i=572302045&k=jQdVPnR&lb=1&s=A
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It is just a mix of green and not so green jungle/forest vegetation burning from the lava flow.
But, it would be easier to just blame it on the geothermal plant. [xx(]
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It has been many months of the lava front burning through almost totally old growth ohia forest. That was the gun powder smell every once in awhile, ohia combusts into steam and fly ash. The lava front left the old growth forest and now entered vacant lots that were totally cleared at one time, then the growth allowed back. That has resulted in mostly albizia growth in this stretch the front is going through now. The difference in the smell now is probably due to albizia burning.
"Mahalo nui Pele, 'ae noho ia moku 'aina" - kakahiaka oli
*Japanese tourist on bus through Pahoa, "Is this still America?*
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fresh lava has a certain smell, and even old lava thats disturbed has a certain smell (ie when breaking it up w/ an o'o bar)
PS. sandalwood trees ('Iliahi) are very common here, not rare or endangered at all, none of the subspecies are endangered either... thousands of them (Santalum paniculatum) in Puna and Kau
Q: can any of you here (Punaweb) actually point to an Iliahi tree on a hike or driving by one at 55 MPH??? ...or are they ALL just another Ohia in your eyes?
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save our indigenous and endemic Hawaiian Plants... learn about them, grow them, and plant them on your property, ....instead of all that invasive non-native garbage I see in most yards... aloha
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save our indigenous and endemic Hawaiian Plants... learn about them, grow them, and plant them on your property, ....instead of all that invasive non-native garbage I see in most yards... aloha
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Well, obviously, I can't recognize them.
I googled, and STILL can't--images show quite a variety of plants, including a monkeypod. I'll have to find a better source.
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