Local politics, the county, and the world, as viewed by Tammy Maygra

Tammy’s views are her own, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Bill Eagle, his pastor, Tammy’s neighbors, Wayne Mayo, Betsy Johnson, Joe Corsiglia, President Trump, Henry Heimuller, VP Pence, Pat Robertson, Debi Corsiglia’s dog, or Claudia Eagle’s Cats. This Tammy’s Take (with the exception of this disclaimer) is not paid for or written by, or even reviewed by anyone but Tammy and she refuses to be bullied by anyone.

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Hawaii’s Kilauea Volcano

 

8o% of the earth’s surface was created by volcano’s. One of the world’s most active volcanoes is Kīlauea.  Kīlauea, sits over a hotspot in the lithosphere, which makes up the Earth’s crust and upper-most mantle. The volcanic activity over thousands of years is responsible for the formation of the entire Hawaiian Island chain. This chain is always growing and changing from eruptions. On the Southeast edge of the volcano a new eruption claimed 116 acres, 36 structures along a 2.5 mile stretch with fissures popping up randomly.

Volcano’s in the Hawaiian Chain are classified as Shield Volcanoes because of the  gentle slopping sides which have been created over time and numerous eruptions with a steady flow of lava. 

Unlike composite, conical-shaped volcanoes like Mt. St. Helens in the Pacific Northwest. Shield volcanoes are characterized as gushing versus explosive. That means they do not generally erupt like a rocket, throwing lava and rocks thousands of feet in the air and billowing unending clouds of ash. Like the way the 2010 eruption in Iceland which closed airspace all across Europe. While most volcanoes are impossible to predict when they will erupt, but because of the shape and slow-moving mannerisms of Hawaii’s volcanoes, it makes them some of the easiest and safest to study.

Since the commencement of the -- Hawaii Volcano Observatory on Kīlauea’s rim - in 1912, the study of volcano’s invented volcanology and thus many different tools and instruments were invented to study these dangerous but interesting acts of nature.

Highly sensitive seismometers are used to track the frequency and strength of micro-earthquake, the ground around volcanos are very unstable. GPS devices and another satellite-based technology such as InSAR (Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar), map ground inflation and deflation to within a fraction of an inch, while tilt-meters measure the slope from ground level. All these modern tools help scientists try to figure out where the eruption will break through the surface by monitoring the lava flow beneath the surface.

Hawaii was formed by five different volcano’s only one is considered extinct today (Kohala). Mauna Kea is considered dormant because it has not erupted in the last 200 years, but that does not mean that it will become active in the future and then erupt. Mauna Loa, Hualalai, and Kīlauea, all three are bunched on the south side of the island and all three are active—as is Haleakala on Maui. Kīlauea just happens to be the only volcano which is currently erupting on the islands surface at this time.

Kīlauea’s activity was centered at two locations—at the summit’s 4,190-foot Halemaumau crater, located inside Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, and at a lower elevation along the East Rift Zone known as PuuŌō vent. This was the usual activity of the volcano up until early may. Then things began to change the last week of April when lava lake began to rise and flow over into Halemumau. Then a few days later lava lake dried up- disappeared like someone pulled a giant plug.

Changes were underway at PuuŌō when the lava lake disappeared; hundreds of small earthquakes were happening moving toward the east where people inhabited the land. Evacuations were called. Soon afterwards bigger quakes were felt then the big one of over 5 happened spewing ash and a 500 ft fissure opened in the surface.

Since at least14 more fissures of varying size and duration have opened up, spattering lava and spewing deadly sulfur dioxide gas. This gas can be deadly up to ½ mile from the eruption site. Then as the volcano continued to gain pressure and momentum it had a  earthquake of 6.9 on the south side, the quake could be felt 200 miles away in Honolulu. This was the strongest quake to shake the island in 40 years.

There is no way to prepare for a volcano eruption except possibly a mask and a pair of goggles to evacuate. Scientists may have fancy tools to help them study volcanos movement but they do not know when or why volcano’s decide to erupt or when the activity will end.

There’s a likelihood of explosive eruptions at the summit that may include ballistic projectiles weighing a few pounds to several tons. Only time will show what the volcano did, scientists will continue to monitor and study volcano’s and they will certainly learn a bit of information from this event which will possibly help in the future .

8o% of the earth’s surface was created by volcano’s. One of the world’s most active volcanoes is Kīlauea.  Kīlauea, sits over a hotspot in the lithosphere, which makes up the Earth’s crust and upper-most mantle. The volcanic activity over thousands of years is responsible for the formation of the entire Hawaiian Island chain. This chain is always growing and changing from eruptions. On the Southeast edge of the volcano a new eruption claimed 116 acres, 36 structures along a 2.5 mile stretch with fissures popping up randomly.

Volcano’s in the Hawaiian Chain are classified as Shield Volcanoes because of the  gentle slopping sides which have been created over time and numerous eruptions with a steady flow of lava. 

Unlike composite, conical-shaped volcanoes like Mt. St. Helens in the Pacific Northwest. Shield volcanoes are characterized as gushing versus explosive. That means they do not generally erupt like a rocket, throwing lava and rocks thousands of feet in the air and billowing unending clouds of ash. Like the way the 2010 eruption in Iceland which closed airspace all across Europe. While most volcanoes are impossible to predict when they will erupt, but because of the shape and slow-moving mannerisms of Hawaii’s volcanoes, it makes them some of the easiest and safest to study.

Since the commencement of the -- Hawaii Volcano Observatory on Kīlauea’s rim - in 1912, the study of volcano’s invented volcanology and thus many different tools and instruments were invented to study these dangerous but interesting acts of nature.

Highly sensitive seismometers are used to track the frequency and strength of micro-earthquake, the ground around volcanos are very unstable. GPS devices and another satellite-based technology such as InSAR (Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar), map ground inflation and deflation to within a fraction of an inch, while tilt-meters measure the slope from ground level. All these modern tools help scientists try to figure out where the eruption will break through the surface by monitoring the lava flow beneath the surface.

Hawaii was formed by five different volcano’s only one is considered extinct today (Kohala). Mauna Kea is considered dormant because it has not erupted in the last 200 years, but that does not mean that it will become active in the future and then erupt. Mauna Loa, Hualalai, and Kīlauea, all three are bunched on the south side of the island and all three are active—as is Haleakala on Maui. Kīlauea just happens to be the only volcano which is currently erupting on the islands surface at this time.

Kīlauea’s activity was centered at two locations—at the summit’s 4,190-foot Halemaumau crater, located inside Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, and at a lower elevation along the East Rift Zone known as PuuŌō vent. This was the usual activity of the volcano up until early may. Then things began to change the last week of April when lava lake began to rise and flow over into Halemumau. Then a few days later lava lake dried up- disappeared like someone pulled a giant plug.

Changes were underway at PuuŌō when the lava lake disappeared; hundreds of small earthquakes were happening moving toward the east where people inhabited the land. Evacuations were called. Soon afterwards bigger quakes were felt then the big one of over 5 happened spewing ash and a 500 ft fissure opened in the surface.

Since at least14 more fissures of varying size and duration have opened up, spattering lava and spewing deadly sulfur dioxide gas. This gas can be deadly up to ½ mile from the eruption site. Then as the volcano continued to gain pressure and momentum it had a  earthquake of 6.9 on the south side, the quake could be felt 200 miles away in Honolulu. This was the strongest quake to shake the island in 40 years.

There is no way to prepare for a volcano eruption except possibly a mask and a pair of goggles to evacuate. Scientists may have fancy tools to help them study volcanos movement but they do not know when or why volcano’s decide to erupt or when the activity will end.

There’s a likelihood of explosive eruptions at the summit that may include ballistic projectiles weighing a few pounds to several tons. Only time will show what the volcano did, scientists will continue to monitor and study volcano’s and they will certainly learn a bit of information from this event which will possibly help in the future .

Tammy 

 

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