flow

[billy]

any word on the lava flow

[frankiestapleton]

Howzit, Billy...

It's been real interesting seeing everyone's reaction to the recent volcanism. It seems like most people on this forum were not here during the early years of this now-25-year-long eruption. I was a reporter for the Trib during those early years and eventually wrote a book about the history of the eruption (published by Bishop Museum Press and now out of print) through the wipeout of Kalapana in 1990.
The lesson I learned from the geologists (primarily Bob Decker) was the development of lava TUBES was the big factor signifing danger to the populations on the lower slopes of Kilauea. And I saw Jack Lockwood (one of the top geologists on call throughout the world) recently who said that the current flows are all surface flows, with no tube development.

Now, that can change over time, and I don't know what the absolute latest is on tube formation. Maybe Jim Kauahihea can fill us in on that. It is my understanding that the underground tubes can deliver fresh magma to the coastal areas in volumes and temperatures close to what is spewed out at the vents on the East Rift Zone.

Also, people seem to be thinking of the East Rift Zone as a very single, linear formation but I don't think it's like that. In fact, recently retired top geologist Cristina Heliker says the ERZ goes another 35 miles NE from the island underwater.

So people who are looking at maps and trying to predict where the flows are going should email their questions to the staff on the HVO website. Those are the people actually paid to answer such questions and warn the population of any pending dangers. And lava does sometimes move UPHILL.

http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/

Aloha, Frankie

[Kelena]

Hey Frankie, Did you write Aloha O Kalapana? That is a GORGEOUS book. I read it in a vacation rental in Kapoho. Opened it up thinking it was a coffee table book...I couldn't put it down. Fantastic and colorful history of what happened to Kalapana. Old timers still lament the loss of Kalapana. The book is still available here and there. I acquired a copy from a bookseller in Hilo. It is a beautiful, vivid, colorful and scholarly reminder of the actual risks of living in Puna.

Oh, great. I just suppressed my own property values again! That's okay -- I ain't sellin'!

[billy]

thanks frankie

[Carolann R]

Thank you so much Frankie for your input. I'll make a point to find your book in Hilo. I know so little about lava tubes and how they function long after the flow has stopped. Sounds fascinating.

You made a great suggestion to email the folks at the HVO website. They can put to rest some popular thoughts and rumors about the volcano. Many of us go to the website often. It never occurred to me to email them with questions. Mahalo!



Carrie

"All I can say about life is, Oh God, enjoy it." Bob Newhart

[Tahunatics]

Interesting article in today's Honolulu Advertiser.

http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/p...020/NEWS10

... A nearly 44-acre lava bench in Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park collapsed into the ocean last week, scientists reported...

...Okubo said that the best guess is that the quakes represent the continued movement of the entire southern portion of Kilauea's East Rift Zone seaward — and away from the rest of the island.

The south flank is moving relatively constantly seaward at a rate of about 2.4 inches a year. Occasionally it speeds up, as it did during the period after the June 17 episode, which saw significant earth cracking, some eruptive activity and a great deal of molten rock being forced into the east rift zone.

The magma intrusions may be acting like a giant wedge, forcing the island apart along a rift zone. The immense mass of Mauna Loa to the north doesn't move, so the relatively smaller slope of Kilauea's south flank does. One way to think of it is that the tapering slope of the volcano is sliding across the ocean floor, and when it catches and jerks, an earthquake is produced...

[frankiestapleton]

Thanx, Glen. Yep, Aloha O Kalapana features the photography of Dorian Weisel and I did the writing. Dorian just emailed me to remind me that the lava doesn't flow uphill for long, because gravity really works! (Think about the lava trees)

Also, Tahunatics is quite right about Mauna Loa not moving. It is my understanding that Mauna Loa is the single largest geologic (vs. geographic) feature. Bob Decker explained the East and South coasts of Kilauea as being like the crumbling bits on the edges of crisp cookies, constantly being dislodged and falling away from the main cookie.

By the way, ALL my geologist friends advised me to move out of Nanawale years ago, saying this whole side of the island was gonna crumble into the sea eventually. I told them I'd chance my human time versus geologic time.

As Will Durant said: "Civilization exists with geologic consent, subject to change without notice."

(Love that quote, used it in the book, and Decker had a plaque made up for HVO using Durant's words.)

Ya gotta admit, it keeps life interesting! fs

[frankiestapleton]

BTW, I forgot to mention the book is available at Pahoa, Keaau, Hilo, Pahala, Waimea and Kona public libraries. Aloha O Kalapana by Dorian Weisel and Frankie Stapleton

We've also been trying to get Bishop Museum Press to print an updated version but they want a "sponsor" up front. Anyone got contacts with Bess Press or UH Press???

[robguz]

Hey Frankie, just wanted to echo Glen and say what a wonderful book you created. It's the most valued book in my posession and I was fortunate enough to find a used copy on Amazon a couple years ago. It is so meaningful to me, as I never got to experience Kalapana which was once the main community in the area I am moving to. I hope it does get another printing.

[missydog1]

hey frankie, thanks for the cookie crumble metaphor and the lava tube formation information. I've been following a few discussions on the volcanic risks, and hadn't heard those points made before.

If I run across your book I'll pick it up, for sure.
Meanwhile, thanks for sharing your knowledge here.