Has anyone noticed.. the latest changes @ Kilauea

[unknownjulie]

Wow, 7shadows. Thanks for the awesome maps!

[kimo wires]

The gradient in the NE direction is not very steep and notice the flow from 1983 to 1986 ,3 years in that direction, didn't advance very far. I think it would take many years of activity in this direction to reach any subdivisions downstream.These flows tend to be A'a as well. Not fast moving stuff. The last time Kupainaha flowed in that direction it was also short lived but right after it stopped the big pahoehoe flows on the pali, steep side, started up again toward Kalapana.
We have two things working in our favor here. The Law of Gravity and the path of least resistance.

[nana valley]

quote:

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Originally posted by kalakoa

So this is it. We're all going to die.

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Still laughing, laughing![]

He who hoots with owls at night cannot soar with the eagles in the morning.

[ericlp]

my take is... and it's JMO. ... Is it looks like the lava isn't really following the OLD paths of 2011 but instead creating new paths heading out towards the East more. So it could come down more Orchidland side than Pahoa .. But with this game it's anyone's guess where it might really go. Eventually the entire island will be covered with lava again. As we all hope that the lava will miss everyone ... One day it really will be a wake up call to all of us out here.

If the lava ever makes it down to 130 not if but when... Will be interesting times for puna for sure.

[kimo wires]

Even Expert volcanologists don't know what Kilauea will do. But none seem to think flows in the NE direction pose much of a threat. However the flow is producing pahoehoe which does move faster but it doesn't appear to be in large volumes.http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/multimedia/uploads/multimediaFile-558.jpg

[OpenD]

quote:

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Originally posted by dakine

...how all the lava being erupted out at Pu`u O`o is once again on the north side of the Rift Zone and flowing to the northeast?

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Interesting thread, thanks.

I have a request... please edit the title of this thread to indicate what the topic is. I really get thrown by blind titles like "Has anyone noticed..." because I don't know whether I want to read them or not and have to open them to find out. Also, since I read lots of other sites, and don't read here every day it's easy to forget what the thread is about when the subject line doesn't say.

Mahalo for your consideration.

[Frankie Stapleton]

Yes, thnx for the map, 7Shadows.

Jes' FYI, Kimo, Pu'u 'O'o generally erupted one day a month between 1983 and 1986, the high fountaining episodes shown in the earliest pix of this 30-year long eruption. Bob Decker, the head of HVO until March 1984, was concerned about the formation of lava tubes that would deliver magma to populated, developed areas of Puna that was almost as hot as that at the source. Which is, of course, what has happened from 1986 on...

[dakine]

quote:

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Originally posted by OpenD

I have a request... please edit the title of this thread to indicate what the topic is.

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you got it! I would have gone with kalakoa's "So this is it. We're all going to die." but it too may have been misinterpreted

[kimo wires]

Here's an interesting historical map.
Out of all the flows in recent recorded history,according to this map, only one has come close in 1840.
It looks like that one came out of the east rift,probably from a tube, halfway between Puu oo and Cape kumukahi. And didn't make it as far as Pahoa Town but cut under it. This is all zone 1 Lelani and Nanawale area. Most flows take the route down the steep Southeast side. So I would guess the most likely, and logical, area for potential big flows in NE Puna would be adjacent to this 1840 flow. http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/dailyp...457493.GIF
I found this story too. Fissures opened up and lava flowed heavily 12 miles SE of Pahoa.
IF this happened today. Wow, what a disaster.
http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/volcanowatch/arch...08_28.html

[dakine]

quote:

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Originally posted by kimo wires

Here's an interesting historical map.
Out of all the flows in recent recorded history,according to this map, only one has come close in 1840...

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The 1840 event came from vents lower down on the rift, so that in their path to the sea they had limited impact on the greater area of Puna. Though it should be noted that today some of the higher density neighborhoods are built on that flow. It is not from the lower vents but rather the ones in the middle and upper portions of the rift, as well as the summit itself that pose the greater threat to the area comprised by the highway 130 corridor between Pahoa and Keeau.

As you can see in the geologic map of the island that's available at:

http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2007/1089/HawIsl...5_2007.pdf (this is a fairly large file!)

the area that the Pu`u O`o vent can effect, if it continues to flow in the current direction, is an area that hasn't had volcanic activity in 200 to 750 years (I suspect the large time variation is due to the entire area not being mapped and dated in greater resolution). One thing to note is that this area encompasses the eastern side of Kilauea's summit, Kilauea Iki specifically. And, we do know of an eruption that originated from the eastern rim of Kilauea Iki (the Thurston Lava Tube is a part of this eruptive vent and flow complex) that reached from there to the sea on the eastern shores of the island. The Kazamura cave is a part of that eruptive series and is considered the longest lava tube in the world. There's more about the Kazamura cave at:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kazumura_Cave

There is greater detailed maps of all the areas of Kilauea as part of the work published in the USGS Professional Paper 1350, Volcanism in Hawaii. This can be downloaded in .pdf format at:

http://pubs.usgs.gov/pp/1987/1350/

Note that this is in two volumes, both of which are over 300MB each. Though for anyone seriously wanting a greater understanding of volcanism in Hawaii these two volumes are well worth the read.