Volcano acting up

[hooligal]

DanielP, what's the magic number with 1600'? Is there a steep drop at 1600' that'll make the lava travel faster?

[Kelena]

I will let Daniel speak for himself, but I do notice that HVO does not usually include the elevation in their reports. I believe (just going on recollection) that this is the first time they have done so. That, in and of itself, is significant in my opinion. HVO is cryptic, but they thought the elevation was important and included it. I presume they included because the lava has reached a slightly lower elevation, indicating that is has gone downhill instead of merely meandering over old flowws. So, we have a river of lava in a very long channel elevated 120 feet above the surrounding terrain. The channel was constructed by the lava itself just since July 21 (faster than any contractor!). It points East in a consistently downslope direction. It has developed the dreaded lava tubes and is pouring pancake batter lava into those tubes.

The overflights are becoming more frequent, and include the Fire Department. We don't know why, but I presume it is because there is a concern about the forest catching fire.

I really wish the Railroad Optimists Club was on island!

Please note that usually right after I write one of these breathless, ill-informed, panicky updates, HVO writes another scholarly update, putting things back in perspective. That job, which I don't envy, is getting more difficult.

[Tahunatics]

The 1600 foot elevation mentioned is in reference to the southeast flow heading more towards the Kalapana area, not the smaller eastern flow heading towards Pahoa direction. The majority of the lava appears to be going more South than East. I think there's reason for optimism here.

[PunaLover]

Optimism if your subdivision isn't the eventual path, IMO it looks like she's going to go stright through Leilani down to Pohki to settle all this
maka

KEEP PUNA RURAL

[PunaLover]

Optimism if your subdivision isn't the eventual path, IMO, it looks like she's going to go stright through Leilani down to Pohki to settle all this
Kapa Kahi stuff we got with the ramp, the tours, the roads, the waste water, the ponds, try wait.

I know vents in Leilani that steam too.
The steam vents that spew steam, will spew lava when the tube fills.

Henry sell those lots boy, no matter he no read Punaweb.lol
Pahoa could be included right through the geothermal vent down to Pohiki. I tell you what, she's not happy about all dis kapa kahi doins.

IF NOTHING ELSE PELE WILL


KEEP PUNA RURAL

[morganlady]

Does anyone know if any of the official volcano-watchers suspected an underground channel before Kapoho's overflow? Were there spewing vents along the way? Now I see tiny streaks on the map between the Park's summit and the coast, but when did that become scientific knowledge?
Can ultrasound now discover faults where we haven't seen any activity as of yet? Maybe we'll all be surprised where Pele's lava emerges from, yet!

[DanielP]

Hooligal,

The flow has been meandering slightly downhill from 2200' to as far down as 1800' elevation over a 4-5 mile distance since July. There is sort of a high plateau about a mile wide that gently follows the rift down towards Kapoho. This southern move in the last 2 days has taken the front of the flow into an area which is south of this high plateau into an area twice as steep as it has been in four months and is aproaching areas which are increasingly steeper and steeper towards the ocean. Gravity may start playing more of a role than before. That is my guess. I think that the flow might come down just east of the Kalapana flow, perhaps just west of where 130 is "closed".

But, I was wrong once before.

Dan

[jerry]

We had relatives visiting last week and my brother went on a helicopter tour. He came home with a dvd of the overflight. The lava flow is really impressive and then it dumps into a tube--a lot of lava going underground. It has to come out somewhere...

If you try to match the current location of the lava with the descent paths included in the "Lava Flow Hazard Assessment," http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2007/1264/ it looks like there is a big ridge to cross before the flow would head south to the coast.

And lava flows change a lot. I just got the dvd "Lava Flows and Lava Tubes" and it is very interesting. Highly recommended.

Jerry
Art and Orchids B&B
http://www.artandorchids.com

[Kelena]

In answer to the question above, I don't think the previous Kapoho flow was as a result of a tube. I think what happened was the ground just tore itself apart and lava started spewing out in great, gigantic fountains.

So, far that is not what is happening here. Pele found an "outlet" and has been expressing herself fairly calmly through that outlet. I look at it as if she is singing, very, very loud, at the top of her range, but it is still controlled, and she is not angry. She is just, for lack of a better word, venting.

I do think tubes are important to this eruption.

I guess there are tubes all under Kilauea. I have been trying to get information on that, but it appears to me that the tube system has not been fully mapped as of yet. That is a labor intensive job, that could take years and would be very dangerous. All of the subdivisions have tubes under them somewhere, I think. I know HPP does. The entire landscape does. If this lava enters the tube system --that is, if it connects with other tubes-- this could get interesting.

I don't recall HVO discussing this "tube" system I just mentioned. They seem to presume that it will take a surface route if it goes anywhere. In any case, it has dropped in elevation. My bet is a crossing north of the Pahoa-Kalapana road. I say that because this is NOT on the Southside of the ridge. It won't go over the ridge. The flow will go with the terrain.

[oink]

I don't know Glen. From my casual observations of the maps, it looks like the South Eastern tube fed flow has crossed the divide and will head towards the mostly uninhabited area of the coast. Of course that system could plug up at any time and the North Eastern flows could resume towards Hwy.130. Or both.

Pua`a
S. FL
Big Islander to be.

Edited by - oink on 11/20/2007 19:15:41