05-23-2018, 03:37 AM
Most attempts at lava diversion have failed, but the Italians have had some limited success with barrier diversion of lava on Mt. Aetna in Sicily. Here is a link to a BBC piece on this subject, appropriately (or perhaps ironically) written during the 2014 Pahoa scare:
http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-29136747
I recall during the 2014 episode that local and state officials rejected diversion for two reasons. One was the legal liability of diverting a flow from one area, only to have it destroy property in another place that would otherwise have been safe. The other reason was fear of offending the cultural sensibilities of some Native Hawaiians. All that did not stop one guy in Pahoa from building a berm on private property, though.
http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-29136747
I recall during the 2014 episode that local and state officials rejected diversion for two reasons. One was the legal liability of diverting a flow from one area, only to have it destroy property in another place that would otherwise have been safe. The other reason was fear of offending the cultural sensibilities of some Native Hawaiians. All that did not stop one guy in Pahoa from building a berm on private property, though.