08-20-2007, 03:31 AM
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
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