08-27-2007, 08:10 AM
SRICCI - the issues of moving to the pahoa area are many with regards the volcanic and associated dangers (earthquakes) that you can expect to have as a part of your life that, if not effecting you and your home directly, will at least be in your awareness now and then.
a few facts... the pahoa area is in the puna district, and almost all of the puna district is essentially the east side of kilauea volcano. a major feature of kilauea volcano is its east rift zone. this is a linear zone, approximately one mile wide that runs from the volcanoes summit to kapoho, and beyond out into the sea. pahoa is less than two miles from the east rift zone. the east rift zone is by definition the area on the volcanoes flank where it is understood that volcanic eruptions are possible.
a study of the ages of kilauea lava flows reveal that for the most part the entire volcano covers itself once ever one thousand years. for more information there is an article in this weeks volcano watch that goes into detail about the dating of rocks on kilauea. if every surface on the whole volcano is covered in new lava every one thousand years, everyone living on kilauea volcano is living in a volcanically hazardous area. I believe that any realtor worth his/her salt would be sure that any perspective buyers of properties in the puna district has this information presented to them during the disclosure process.
besides having a vent open up and beginning to erupt in your backyard, a possibility that some people just south and east of pahoa live with, the whole district is within the reach of the lava flows that issue from these vents. up until recently the area that has been erupting has been sending lava flows for the most part down the mountains flank and into the ocean in an area with relatively few peoples lives in the way. recently this has changed and the downhill direction that the lava must take if it continues to erupt from these vents is eventually into developed property, with a much higher concentration of homes etc., as well as cutting the one major highway that services 10's of thousands of people who's homes would not be directly effected by the lava itself, but none-the-less their lives will be altered considerable. this would be you if you were to be living in pahoa.
the history of the current eruption, it started in 1983, is that when erupting continuously it puts out an average of one half of one million cubic meters of lava a day. this sounds like a lot, and if you look at the hvo web cam of the current eruption, or the pictures that are being posted on the hvo web site of this eruption, it sometimes looks very impressive. if you spend a bit of time acquainting yourself with the maps they but up you will note that the actual amount of new ground that is covered in any given period of time is relatively small. especially when you look at how far from the current vent the lava would have to go before this event actually became a crisis
another issue with living on an active volcano is that we have the greatest environmental polluter imaginable. kilauea puts out tons of gases per day that some people have adverse reactions to. the pahoa area has not had as bad of a time with this, at least in comparison with those in the glenwood and volcano areas. but, if the lava flows do find their way down the hill there will some degradation of air quality due to the gases that escape from the lava and smoke from the burning forest etc.
and of course we have earthquakes, and occasionally they are very big, as in the kapalana earthquake of 1975 which changed the shoreline of the puna district dramatically. but for the most part over the years we have 4's and 5's pretty regularly.
there is a lot of issues to consider. if you want the ground to be nice and stable, your mountains to give you the sense that they will always be there to grace your horizons, then living on an active volcano may not suit. but on the other hand, if you are like many, striving for a path that takes you closer to nature, closer to the nature within, then living on kilauea, learning to feel and appreciate all of her moods, and incorporate them into your own, may be just the ticket
a few facts... the pahoa area is in the puna district, and almost all of the puna district is essentially the east side of kilauea volcano. a major feature of kilauea volcano is its east rift zone. this is a linear zone, approximately one mile wide that runs from the volcanoes summit to kapoho, and beyond out into the sea. pahoa is less than two miles from the east rift zone. the east rift zone is by definition the area on the volcanoes flank where it is understood that volcanic eruptions are possible.
a study of the ages of kilauea lava flows reveal that for the most part the entire volcano covers itself once ever one thousand years. for more information there is an article in this weeks volcano watch that goes into detail about the dating of rocks on kilauea. if every surface on the whole volcano is covered in new lava every one thousand years, everyone living on kilauea volcano is living in a volcanically hazardous area. I believe that any realtor worth his/her salt would be sure that any perspective buyers of properties in the puna district has this information presented to them during the disclosure process.
besides having a vent open up and beginning to erupt in your backyard, a possibility that some people just south and east of pahoa live with, the whole district is within the reach of the lava flows that issue from these vents. up until recently the area that has been erupting has been sending lava flows for the most part down the mountains flank and into the ocean in an area with relatively few peoples lives in the way. recently this has changed and the downhill direction that the lava must take if it continues to erupt from these vents is eventually into developed property, with a much higher concentration of homes etc., as well as cutting the one major highway that services 10's of thousands of people who's homes would not be directly effected by the lava itself, but none-the-less their lives will be altered considerable. this would be you if you were to be living in pahoa.
the history of the current eruption, it started in 1983, is that when erupting continuously it puts out an average of one half of one million cubic meters of lava a day. this sounds like a lot, and if you look at the hvo web cam of the current eruption, or the pictures that are being posted on the hvo web site of this eruption, it sometimes looks very impressive. if you spend a bit of time acquainting yourself with the maps they but up you will note that the actual amount of new ground that is covered in any given period of time is relatively small. especially when you look at how far from the current vent the lava would have to go before this event actually became a crisis
another issue with living on an active volcano is that we have the greatest environmental polluter imaginable. kilauea puts out tons of gases per day that some people have adverse reactions to. the pahoa area has not had as bad of a time with this, at least in comparison with those in the glenwood and volcano areas. but, if the lava flows do find their way down the hill there will some degradation of air quality due to the gases that escape from the lava and smoke from the burning forest etc.
and of course we have earthquakes, and occasionally they are very big, as in the kapalana earthquake of 1975 which changed the shoreline of the puna district dramatically. but for the most part over the years we have 4's and 5's pretty regularly.
there is a lot of issues to consider. if you want the ground to be nice and stable, your mountains to give you the sense that they will always be there to grace your horizons, then living on an active volcano may not suit. but on the other hand, if you are like many, striving for a path that takes you closer to nature, closer to the nature within, then living on kilauea, learning to feel and appreciate all of her moods, and incorporate them into your own, may be just the ticket