Would the Big Island eruption change your travel plans?
May 14th, 2018, 06:19 PM
#41
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My family is headed there in July for our first time. Very excited to be in Hawaii, just want to make sure the plane can land. I find myself reading all of the stories that are coming out, it is amazing what is happening. We are used to seeing volcanoes erupt where people aren't - the picture of fissures opening up in yards and along roads is terrifying, amazing, exciting, scary, sad and shocking.
May 15th, 2018, 02:40 PM
#43
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This may be useful.
VIDEO: Dark, Towering Plume Erupts From Kilauea Summit
and this
http://www.bigislandvideonews.com/20...it-lower-rift/
VIDEO: Dark, Towering Plume Erupts From Kilauea Summit
and this
http://www.bigislandvideonews.com/20...it-lower-rift/
Last edited by Inakauaidavidababy; May 15th, 2018 at 02:53 PM.
That's exciting a topic... A thought to spare given the latest Big Island eruption...
May 15th, 2018, 04:16 PM
#47
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5% of the island is affected by the current volcanic activity (that leaves 95% unaffected).
So, people should take a deep breath, and read about this interesting phenomenon in addition to watching sensational (in many ways) videos.
So, people should take a deep breath, and read about this interesting phenomenon in addition to watching sensational (in many ways) videos.
May 17th, 2018, 11:12 AM
#48
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There seems to be some misunderstanding about the nature of this event, promulgated by sensational news videos.
Kilauea's eruptions of lava are from fissures lower on the volcano flank; only one remains that is oozing slow-moving lava (although that could change). Others continue to vent SO2 .
The summit caldera, where all the ash is being thrown into the sky, is NOT erupting. These are steam explosions. The fine ballistic particulates (ash) will go up farther into the atmosphere, and travel farther laterally (why the trade winds will be welcome today and tomorrow). Any large rock sizes will be confined to the park limits.
Kilauea's eruptions of lava are from fissures lower on the volcano flank; only one remains that is oozing slow-moving lava (although that could change). Others continue to vent SO2 .
The summit caldera, where all the ash is being thrown into the sky, is NOT erupting. These are steam explosions. The fine ballistic particulates (ash) will go up farther into the atmosphere, and travel farther laterally (why the trade winds will be welcome today and tomorrow). Any large rock sizes will be confined to the park limits.
May 18th, 2018, 07:18 PM
#49
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Thought this was interesting. Latest update. I thought that there was old lava and new lava. Welcome to the surface.
VIDEO: ?New Lava? Arrives, Eruption Activity Increases
VIDEO: ?New Lava? Arrives, Eruption Activity Increases
May 25th, 2018, 04:09 AM
#50
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USGS gave this presentation on May 22
. The link does not seem to show here, so its on Youtube, just look for Steve Brantley May 22
Volcanologist Steve Brantley suggests that the current activity is going to continue for 'the long haul'
Brantley showed a cutaway diagram of the East Rift Zone of Kīlauea Volcano. The illustration shows the plumbing of the volcano, with an orange pipe - a conduit from Kīlauea summit directly to lower Puna that is sending down the lava.
Before the recent changes at Kīlauea, Puʻu ʻŌʻō Crater served to temper the activity at the summit, letting out steam and letting out lava. On about May 1, Brantley explained, the summit of the volcano began subsiding, as a reflection of magma now moving out of the summit reservoir, into the rift zone, and further down into the lower East Rift Zone. "So, in a sense there is an open conduit from the summit to the lower east rift zone," he said.For the 35 years or so that Puʻu ʻŌʻō was active, there was a kind of balance between the summit reservoir and the location or elevation where Puʻu ʻŌʻō erupted. There was sort of a symbiotic relationship with the summit and Puʻu ʻŌʻō. Now, that new vent system is located almost at sea level, said Brantley. "So the whole system has to adjust to some sort of new balance. And until that balance is reached or something else changes, we expect magma to continue moving from the summit reservoir into the rift zone and further down into the lower east rift zone.
"That suggests that we are in it for the long haul. We don't know how long this eruptions is going to last. But for now it looks like it's just going to continue and we take it day by day."
Absolutely fascinating, but definitely not good news for the people who live in the east rift zone
Volcanologist Steve Brantley suggests that the current activity is going to continue for 'the long haul'
Brantley showed a cutaway diagram of the East Rift Zone of Kīlauea Volcano. The illustration shows the plumbing of the volcano, with an orange pipe - a conduit from Kīlauea summit directly to lower Puna that is sending down the lava.
Before the recent changes at Kīlauea, Puʻu ʻŌʻō Crater served to temper the activity at the summit, letting out steam and letting out lava. On about May 1, Brantley explained, the summit of the volcano began subsiding, as a reflection of magma now moving out of the summit reservoir, into the rift zone, and further down into the lower East Rift Zone. "So, in a sense there is an open conduit from the summit to the lower east rift zone," he said.For the 35 years or so that Puʻu ʻŌʻō was active, there was a kind of balance between the summit reservoir and the location or elevation where Puʻu ʻŌʻō erupted. There was sort of a symbiotic relationship with the summit and Puʻu ʻŌʻō. Now, that new vent system is located almost at sea level, said Brantley. "So the whole system has to adjust to some sort of new balance. And until that balance is reached or something else changes, we expect magma to continue moving from the summit reservoir into the rift zone and further down into the lower east rift zone.
"That suggests that we are in it for the long haul. We don't know how long this eruptions is going to last. But for now it looks like it's just going to continue and we take it day by day."
Absolutely fascinating, but definitely not good news for the people who live in the east rift zone
Last edited by wanderingcanadian; May 25th, 2018 at 04:12 AM.
May 26th, 2018, 09:14 PM
#51
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Don't hesitate - just go
We just finished a week on the Big Island. We stayed in Kailua-Kona. Other than some VOG (we don't know whether it was worse than usual having nothing to compare with) we truly felt no impact from the volcano. The beaches were lovely and the town was hopping. Don't cancel your vacation, the people who live there really depend on the tourist dollars. Just stay away from the immediate area around the volcano. The pictures on the news are dramatic - but it is only a small part of the island they are showing. Have a great time - enjoy a mai tai for me.
May 27th, 2018, 01:27 PM
#53
Lauramsgarden: Thanks so much for your report. I work in Kailua-Kona every summer and I ALWAYS feel some effects from the vog--but nothing worse than I feel when I visit Los Angeles. My friends there are saying it's not noticeably worse than it has been for the past ten years in the Kailua-Kona area.
On the news last night they said that only 1% of the island is being affected. A woman who owns a restaurant in Volcano talked about how devastating the lack off tourists is for her and her employees. The restaurants and shops in Volcano were virtually empty. She was encouraging tourists to keep coming, but honestly...I think that's a little too close to the action for me.
I'll be in Kailua-Kona in July and am looking forward to it!
On the news last night they said that only 1% of the island is being affected. A woman who owns a restaurant in Volcano talked about how devastating the lack off tourists is for her and her employees. The restaurants and shops in Volcano were virtually empty. She was encouraging tourists to keep coming, but honestly...I think that's a little too close to the action for me.
I'll be in Kailua-Kona in July and am looking forward to it!
Jun 4th, 2018, 09:08 AM
#54
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We have been on island for almost a month and it's good that finally people are understanding that, as tragic as the Puna eruption is, Hawaii Island is still and will be a fine place to explore and visit. We're in Ka'u and were impacted by ash falls a few weeks ago that really had us worried...but after the first, largest explosions, ash has not been an ongoing issue for us. I suppose it's possible that additional ash may come our way depending on the tradewinds and amount of ash coming out of Kilauea, but, it seems as though it would be a sort of here and gone event.
Fortunately, the air quality for us - even in the area south of the volcano - has been excellent. Especially in comparison to Hawaii Ocean View / South Kona / Kona districts. We have seen heavy vog in the Kona district over the past few weeks when traveling there.
No one knows what the future will be, the new normal will hopefully arrive soon.
For anyone wondering if they should still plan a visit to the Big Island, as long as you don't plan on visiting Volcanoes National Park, you should enjoy a great trip. Nearly everything else you want to do and want to see should be available to you. And, if you are so inclined helicopter and boat lava tours are doing substantial business right now. It's very expensive and they are heavily booked but we have met many, many visitors who have done these excursions over the past few weeks.
Fortunately, the air quality for us - even in the area south of the volcano - has been excellent. Especially in comparison to Hawaii Ocean View / South Kona / Kona districts. We have seen heavy vog in the Kona district over the past few weeks when traveling there.
No one knows what the future will be, the new normal will hopefully arrive soon.
For anyone wondering if they should still plan a visit to the Big Island, as long as you don't plan on visiting Volcanoes National Park, you should enjoy a great trip. Nearly everything else you want to do and want to see should be available to you. And, if you are so inclined helicopter and boat lava tours are doing substantial business right now. It's very expensive and they are heavily booked but we have met many, many visitors who have done these excursions over the past few weeks.
Aug 7th, 2018, 07:30 AM
#55
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The current phase in the lower East rift zone has changed...in case you aren't following things, there is, at the least, a pause in activity and some changes going on. No one knows what is next...some quotes from todays paper:
"We do not fully understand what that means,” she said. “… It does mean that there’s magma at a very shallow level below Pu‘u ‘O‘o that’s degassing. Whether that means that system is moving toward lava re-emerging in Pu‘u ‘O‘o or not, we just can’t say. That will be a surprise to us if that happens.”
“It is really too early to tell what Kilauea will do next, and the hazard has certainly not decreased at the moment, and we don’t know what’s happening next, so I don’t know,” Ferracane said.
Cross fingers for a long term pause and a chance for things to get back closer to normal for the folks who have been left in limbo for so many weeks now.
"We do not fully understand what that means,” she said. “… It does mean that there’s magma at a very shallow level below Pu‘u ‘O‘o that’s degassing. Whether that means that system is moving toward lava re-emerging in Pu‘u ‘O‘o or not, we just can’t say. That will be a surprise to us if that happens.”
“It is really too early to tell what Kilauea will do next, and the hazard has certainly not decreased at the moment, and we don’t know what’s happening next, so I don’t know,” Ferracane said.
Cross fingers for a long term pause and a chance for things to get back closer to normal for the folks who have been left in limbo for so many weeks now.
Aug 11th, 2018, 07:44 AM
#56
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Ditto; some normalcy and a chance to regroup and reflect will be very welcome to those affected by this episode.
On a lighter note, those traveling near Kona will be happy to hear about the end of construction on Queen's highway!
On a lighter note, those traveling near Kona will be happy to hear about the end of construction on Queen's highway!
