09-06-2014, 08:49 AM
The Carnegie Airborne Observatory project uses LIDAR, (light detection and ranging), which is similar to radar but uses light wavelengths. It allows very precise mapping of contours, and because they also measure the spectral reflection of the ground, can not only map out lava vs. vegetation but also separate different types of trees and other plants (such as for detecting albizia vs. native trees) with a high degree of accuracy. If you see a small prop plane flying over in straight-line paths back and forth, that's it.
hawaiideborah: The pad was a test well for geothermal. I don't know how deep it went, but it's at least capped and filled in, so it's no big deal if it gets covered by lava. If anything that will seal it up better!
bananahead: if you're in HA, you're on the younger Kilauea flow; the boundary of Keaau ahupuaa, which includes all of those big subdivisions southeast of highway 11, is defined by the edge of that flow, where it's mostly uluhe, ohia, and swordfern. Where you see taller introduced trees (aside from Cook pine), guinea grass, and sugar cane north of the Old Volcano Trail/Road A that runs along the edge of HA is the Mauna Loa flow. The flows there are actually about 5,000-30,000 years old (depending on exactly where), which makes for a pretty stark transition; on the map they just lumped all of Mauna Loa together, the younger 750 year old ones are out around Stainback highway.
hawaiideborah: The pad was a test well for geothermal. I don't know how deep it went, but it's at least capped and filled in, so it's no big deal if it gets covered by lava. If anything that will seal it up better!
bananahead: if you're in HA, you're on the younger Kilauea flow; the boundary of Keaau ahupuaa, which includes all of those big subdivisions southeast of highway 11, is defined by the edge of that flow, where it's mostly uluhe, ohia, and swordfern. Where you see taller introduced trees (aside from Cook pine), guinea grass, and sugar cane north of the Old Volcano Trail/Road A that runs along the edge of HA is the Mauna Loa flow. The flows there are actually about 5,000-30,000 years old (depending on exactly where), which makes for a pretty stark transition; on the map they just lumped all of Mauna Loa together, the younger 750 year old ones are out around Stainback highway.