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This is not the first time this kind of thing has happened. For those of you who were around for the November 2000 storm, you may recall that the day after the storm, a couple that had hiked out onto the flows during the storm were found dead out on the lava. There was a lot of speculation about what had killed them - "they had gotten too close to the ocean and been trapped in a steam cloud" and a host of other guesses. I talked to a pathologist, among whose specialties is cause of death in volcanic events, who happened to be visiting out here shortly after the storm. We discussed the likelihood of asphyxia when there is a heavy rainfall event infiltrating water into the still hot lava flows that generates so much steam that there is inadequate breathable oxygen (there are possibly other reactions going on as well that could deplete the oxygen). He investigated this further when he got back home and indicated that he had found cases of fire-fighter deaths under similar circumstances.
Bottom line is that, if you are out on young lavas (that are still glowing beneath the surface crust) during an intense rainstorm, your life is at risk and you need to get to an area where the lavas have substantially cooled.
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quote:
Originally posted by geochem
This is not the first time this kind of thing has happened. For those of you who were around for the November 2000 storm, you may recall that the day after the storm, a couple that had hiked out onto the flows during the storm were found dead out on the lava. There was a lot of speculation about what had killed them - "they had gotten too close to the ocean and been trapped in a steam cloud" and a host of other guesses....
Yes, Nancy will always be remembered for her enthusiasm, and love of the lava flows. And how her death symbolized the endless question of safety verses the passion that so many feel for witnessing, often at considerable risk, the majesty of Kilauea's activity.
It has always amazed me how passions blind us from concerns for our own safety, and how authorities have dealt with the passion of visitors to the lava flows. Ever since the lava first went onto the ocean in the National Park (during the Puu Oo series) they have had varying policies on access. From nobody could go anywhere near it to no restrictions at all. At one point they had manned barricades preventing access entirely and OSHA came by and tested the air quality and said it was unhealthy for federal employees to be in so they took them away, effectively going from no access to an unsupervised free for all. What do you want to bet yesterday's tragedy is going to have them swing back to a more restrictive policy?
And of course this holds true for the county and state as well. Big swings from very restrictive to go for it do whatever you want. What to you want to bet Harry is mulling over all sorts of restrictive policies now as well?
The real shame is had those involved in yesterday's ordeal been better educated about the dangers and how to mitigate them maybe they would have been better prepared. This is the same thing that arrises when one considers the lava boat tours. A desire to thrill the unsuspecting tourist, verses safety for all involved. And I am sure the USGS, the ones that are best prepared to provide the eduction to allow people to safely follow their passions, probably doesn't want anything to do with that sort of thing. After all they're a research organization, not babysitters.
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Land of the Free? or Home of the Nanny State?
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Tragedy stalks us all.
In Hawaiian lore Kilauea fumes killed about 200 warriors pre contact.
So these events have taken place over a long period of time.
Assume the best and ask questions.
Punaweb moderator
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I remember reading about previous more explosive Kilauea eruptions. Although this event wasn't due to an actual explosive eruption, mixing magma/lava with water can make things a bit dodgy.
Found a couple of interesting articles that are related. The first talks about violent eruptions at Kilauea and suspect relates to what Rob mentions although in this case it seems it was a pyroclastic flow from the summit rather than the sad situation these hikers found themselves in:
https://www.livescience.com/17338-hawaii...osive.html
An earlier article discusses how water can cause these explosive eruptions:
https://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/fs132-98/
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The eruption that killed Ke#333;ua's warriors was actually post-contact - 1790.
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Sean’s love for Hawaii was revealed in his photographs. He will be remembered with Aloha.
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"Tragedy stalks us all."
Our time is short. None of us are getting out of here alive. Blessings to Sean. Love as much as you can while you can.
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Sean was one of the nicest people I have ever met. The day I met him, he came to my aid and helped me in a way I will never forget. Someday maybe I will tell that story. Others were standing around...Sean saw that I was in trouble and immediately came to my aid and didn't let up until we were literally out of the woods.
For now, suffice it to say he was beloved by all. A risk taker, for sure, but he knew the risks. This was a freak occurrence during an inherently dangerous activity.
He was a great photographic artist which is all the more sweet because he found this artistic calling later in life. He excelled at it.
He was a vivid, adventurous, full-blown Punatic who loved our land with an unusual intensity that took him close to the flame. He was a bullfighter, always dancing just out of reach of danger.....dancing "beneath the diamond sky with one hand waving free...silhoutted by the sea....circled by the circus sands...with all memory and fate driven deep beneath the waves..."
From that same song:
Then take me disappearin’ through the smoke rings of my mind
Down the foggy ruins of time, far past the frozen leaves
The haunted, frightened trees, out to the windy beach
Far from the twisted reach of....... crazy sorrow
Thank you, Sean. You are part of the myth of the mountain now.
