An attempt to divert lava

[Rob L]

Todays Jakaratp post has a cool picture on the front page: October 6, http://www.thejakartapost.com/headlines.asp half way down the page.

MAGMA WAY: A view of a 12-meter-high by 4-meter-wide embankment being built in Blitar regency, East Java, to protect the village of Tulungrejo village from lava streams in the event of an eruption by the rumbling Mt. Kelud. Blitar is building embankments around five villages at the foot of the mountain, as well as training residents in evacuation techniques. JP/Indra Harsaputra

I'm dubious that it would work and suspect that the local governor's daughter got the construction contract, but who knows.


Aloha,
Rob L

[Thunderfoot]

on the subject of diverting lava.I saw a documentary once where Iceland used super waterpumps to pump seawater on the advancing lava.It did work sometimes.Definitely,this is something to think about.Of course near shore for this method would be helpful !!!



Edited by - thunderfoot on 10/06/2007 16:12:09

[Bob Orts]

The situation in Iceland wouldn't work on the BI. They used water that was freezing to fracture the lava enabling it to penetrate deep into the flow, cooling it from bottom to top. Pouring plain seawater on the flow would just crust the surface creating lava tubes, which would speed the spread not stop, it. They wanted to keep the lava out of the harbor and were willing to sacrifice everything else, homes, roads, buildings, etc just so long as the harbor was saved.

[Thunderfoot]

wow,cool,good to know.

[Kahunascott]

I brought up the idea of diverting the lava on the earlier thread when the fissure first opened, and the idea was shot down. Because of where the fissure is (at the pinnacle of the eastern riff zone) it seems to me that there is a very good possibility of diverting this flow to the south right at the source.
I do believe that the seawater could be used by pooring it on the side of the flow cooling the edge and building it higher then the other side. Or opening the south wall by numerous approaches and again let the lava flow down south and into the ocean as it has been for the last 15 years.
It seems to me that the action or inaction that the government at any level is in adequate to “Protect and Serve”.
Seems like they will wait for it to cross Hwy 130 then attempt to evacuate, (yes evacuate) 12 thousand men, women and children.
It just seems easier and less expensive to take preemptive action and not have to deal with a catastrophe later……

[Nightowl]

Evacuate? that would be crazy considering the highway!!!!As well as other things.Gov.just wants to save money; and the public service of our officials,who are suppose to serve the public, has been slowly diminishing until.......well what you got now,a mess.And it does not represent the majority.

so much....and so little time

Edited by - Nightowl on 10/07/2007 08:24:56

[JerryCarr]

Scott, I agree that our political leaders don't have the gumption to try anything with the lava, even though there have been successful diversions in other parts of the world. Some of the excuses offered, both official and otherwise, include liability should something go wrong, lack of success in other places, and the lack of an urgent and immediate danger. That last one is what really gets me. "Let's wait until there is a real danger until we do anything." Duhhhh . . .

Blasting a gap in the south side of the lava channel might send it back down the south flank of the rift ridge, or it might not. It is unlikely that we will ever know, though, because no one in a position of authority is willing to take a chance on it going wrong somehow.

Cheers,
Jerry

[PunaLeigh]

Google page of links on diverting lava the world over, including Hawaii:
http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rls=HPIB,HPIB:2005-31,HPIB:en&q=diverting+lava

This 1987 article discusses attempts at diverting lava on the Big Isle: http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DE6D8133AF932A35751C0A961948260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all
Excerpt: “How to deal with volcanic hazards was the subject of the final sessions of the conference held in Hilo the week ended Jan. 25. It was organized to mark the 75th anniversary of the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, on the rim of the Kilauea crater on the slope of the Mauna Loa volcano. Efforts to Divert Lava Flows
One of the topics discussed involved efforts to divert lava flows with bombs, levees and sprays of water.” –Though the article does not go in depth on this.
A good Star Bulletin article from August 23, 2007 giving an overview of concerns about the new direction the lava flow has taken: http://starbulletin.com/2007/08/23/news/story02.html
Excerpt: “Even if an extended flow missed every home and business, it could still cut Highway 130, the sole road in and out of the area.
That is the kind of thinking that Kim prefers not to emphasize. He said yesterday he would not even discuss Highway 130 being cut.”
Volcano Tamers (1998): http://www.platetectonics.com/article.asp?a=15
Excerpt: “Diverting Lava Flow” … “When volcanoes erupt, Lockwood is often nearby. The former U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) geologist now makes a career of offering governments advice on keeping lava at bay. "Three methods have been used to attempt lava diversion," Lockwood says. Detonating explosives can disrupt lava flow. Construction of earthen walls can also deflect lava. And spraying large volumes of water can cool an advancing flow.

Experiments with aerial delivery of explosives date to a 1935 bombing mission in Hawaii organized by then-Lt. Col. George S. Patton Jr. The air-strike, by 1920s-era Keystone B-3 and B-4 bombers, was an attempt to disrupt a lava flow from Mauna Loa that was threatening the city of Hilo. Pele, the Hawaiian volcano goddess, apparently didn' t notice. Nor did she blink in 1942 when a second operation was mounted. … The lava-diversion barrier Lockwood designed to protect the USGS Mauna Loa Observatory on the Big Island of Hawaii is based on similar design principles. It has yet to be tested.”

… Or maybe all us Punaweb citizens can take things into our own hands like these brave men:
“The first known attempt to divert a lava flow was made in Sicily in
1669, when a large flow from Etna was advancing towards the city of Cata-
nia. Several dozen men from the city covered themselves with wet cowhides
as a protection against the heat, and with iron bars managed to open a
breach in the side of the flow, through which the lava flowed out in an-
other direction. Unfortunately
this new flow threatened the village of
Paterno, whose inhabitants sallied forth in large numbers to put a stop to
the operation. The men of Catania were forced to abandon their efforts,
the breach soon clogged up and the main flow continued on into the city.”

[Kelena]

How to Deal with Volcanic Hazards, by Glen

1. Save lots of money (garage sales, bake sales).
2. Move to Maui

[Bob Orts]

Just curious, when maps showed areas cutting directly across 130 as being in Lava Zone 1, didn't that raise just a tad of an eyebrow that maybe, just maybe, the lava will cut the road off? Or maybe even run right over property?

I fully agree that the government has a responsibility to respond to a lava threat. But shouldn't that assistance only be the saving of lives since everyone knew the risk of lava flows when they purchased their property. It's like people in CA complaining that the government needs to do something about earthquakes. Or those in Florida complaining the government isn't doing enough about hurricanes.

If you want the government to do something immediately, request a moratorium on new building permits in the impacted area so there are less people to evacuate if the time comes. How about an end to all commercial, retail, and tourist operations except along 11, this way the streets wouldn't be clogged with the additional shoppers and tourist if the day comes where the evacuation needs to occur. There comes a point where people need to accept their decision to throw the dice and ignore the early warnings (lava zone 1).