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yes dave, you are correct. it was 1950 that the sw rift filled and caused the most damage. i do know the 1984 flow entered the sw rift. we had gone to kona side for the day, and coming home we saw the rivers of lava on the mountain as we came around the southern end and it was quite frightening, wondering if we were going to make it home. i remember being scared, but my father was laughing and loving the show of the lava pouring down the hill. i guess i would have to research it to see if it pooled or what, but we do know it then started flowing in the NE rift, and as you say got quite close to hilo town. the excitement was that kilauea was erupting also and it had been something like 120 years that both were erupting at the same time, if my old memory serves me correctly.
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Ok, that's what I thought. Been studying the recent (last 200 years) volcanic history of Kilauea and Mauna Loa intensely.
I LOVED the coverage of the 1959 Kilauea Iki and 1960 Kapoho eruptions by Fred Rackle. I think anyone who lives in lower Puna needs to see the 1960 Kapoho coverage. Apparently this footage, being 50 years old, was just released for public viewing this year. It's on youtube.
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quote:
Originally posted by dobanion...
I LOVED the coverage of the 1959 Kilauea Iki and 1960 Kapoho eruptions by Fred Rackle. I think anyone who lives in lower Puna needs to see the 1960 Kapoho coverage. Apparently this footage, being 50 years old, was just released for public viewing this year. It's on youtube.
There has been a copy on you tube for 3 years at least. It is in 3 or 4 segments last time I looked at it.
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quote:
Originally posted by dobanion
Ok, that's what I thought. Been studying the recent (last 200 years) volcanic history of Kilauea and Mauna Loa intensely.
I LOVED the coverage of the 1959 Kilauea Iki and 1960 Kapoho eruptions by Fred Rackle. I think anyone who lives in lower Puna needs to see the 1960 Kapoho coverage. Apparently this footage, being 50 years old, was just released for public viewing this year. It's on youtube.
Yeah, even just driving around there it's kind of shocking to see what a massive area was covered in such a short time. A similar eruption a little up the rift zone could conceivable wipe out all of Nanawale or Leilani in weeks. Every day it keeps flowing out of Pu'u O'o is a good day, unless of course you're in Kalapana Gardens lately.
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One of the main things about Mauna Loa eruptions, especially the 1950 one, is how quickly the flows made it all the way to the ocean. The Honokua flow of that eruption took less than 3 hours to travel 15 miles to the ocean. We just drove through that area last week, and it was a sobering testimony to Madam Pele and Mother Nature's ability to interrupt our peaceful lives.
I read this history with great interest, having started my interest in volcanoes on May 18, 1980 just about 25 miles from Mt. St. Helens! Lucky we live Hawai'i.
Jane
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Even given that I used to have nightmares of volcanoes (OK and dinosaurs) I still want to live on the Big Island. Heck it can't be any worse than living in Humboldt County CA and waiting for the big one. Or sitting here in Eastern WA waiting for the giant ice storm, everyone seems to talk about. Or tornadoes, did I mention, tornadoes? I love the disaster shows. If only a few people think about preparedness, well that is all to the good. But, no remodeled missile silos for me.
Life goes on, with you or without you.
Peace and long life
Living on an active volcano is spiritual in the most real sense. I occasionally have an opportunity to visit other Islands for business and can't wait to get back to TBI. The thought always goes through my mind, Who would want to live without a volcano? I am constantly reminded how insignificant I am to the universe. It makes whatever problems I may have insignificant as well. There is no place on earth like Volcano at night. No Ka Oi.
