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Hundreds of earthquakes hit the Big Island. Kilauea may erupt [Eruption UPDATE]

jlp879

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Kīlauea volcano is currently erupting from TWO locations, from its summit crater, Halemaumau, which has erupted nonstop since 2008 and is characterized by a 10-acre glowing lava lake that rises and falls; and 11 miles east from the summit crater, at the Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō vent in the remote East Rift Zone. Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō has erupted nonstop since 1983, and its eruptive nature was the surface lava flows that until last year one could see entering the ocean.


Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō Crater is the green triangle on this map.

Screen Shot 2018-05-05 at 12.53.23 AM.png


The thick column of pink ash and smoke you saw was Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō. The lava lake image you saw was most likely Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō. It collapsed April 30. Today the lava lake in Halemaumau Crater dropped its level by 1000 ft. Where did that magma go? Back down inside the earth to come out again somewhere else. Not looking too good for Hawaii right now as that lava has to go somewhere.
 

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So is it still safe to vacation in the Waikoloa area. Is that area experiencing Any vog?

Aloha, At HGVC Waikoloa now - only felt the 5.0 and 6.9 main quakes (~10 sec long rolling), nothing else - the air seems normal... Yes, it’s safe :)
 

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Aloha, At HGVC Waikoloa now - only felt the 5.0 and 6.9 main quakes (~10 sec long rolling), nothing else - the air seems normal... Yes, it’s safe :)

Thanks so much.
 

jlp879

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Hawaii Volcanoes National Park closed Friday after the 6.9 earthquake. It is closed until further notice.

http://bigislandnow.com/2018/05/04/hvnp-closing-due-to-strong-and-damaging-earthquakes/

From the article:
Hikes were canceled and about 2,600 visitors are being evacuated from the park. Guests at Volcano House hotel and Kilauea Military Camp are being relocated. All non-emergency park employees were sent home.

A 7th and 8th fissure have erupted in Leilani Estates Saturday morning. The 7th fissure is thought to be over 800 ft long, the most powerful one yet. It has already consumed a house on either side of Leilani Ave.

https://www.facebook.com/KITV4/posts/10155289535211861
 

Hawaiibarb

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The front page of the Star Advertiser, in LARGE Font is "Fear and Fire". Very tense over there, the residents of Leilani Estates know they may lose everything. As far as the vog is concerned, remember that that can drift a long way, so those with pulmonary problems should take care. Lava is fountaining through the fissures in the road although the lava flow so far is not going very far. Tough times.
 

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Want to know more about earthquakes and volcanoes? This link will explain it in detail. I watched the whole thing. Hawaii starts on 5:20 but the explanation before and after are very interesting too.

 

JIMinNC

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The eruption isn't in the main part of the Park - it's down in an evacuated neighborhood. Lots of sulphur dioxide in the air, which makes people dead. Not a safe place right now. I keep seeing pictures of a lava lake, but they never say where it is. I wonder if it's at Halemaumau? They also show lots of smoke and ash rising from a big crater, but again, they don't say where that it. Very confusing.

Dave


The USGS Hawaii Volcano Observatory is the best site for info on Kilauea. For photos, look under the Multimedia menu item

https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/volcanoes/kilauea/status.html

- The lava lake that overflowed several days ago was the lava lake at Halemaumau. There were a lot of night images posted of that. That was when the lava was backing up into the crater
- Then, when the earthquakes started, the lava began heading downstream underground, and the lava lake began dropping as the magma drained out of the craters underground. As others have said, the Halemaumau lava lake level has dropped considerably
- The crater floor at Pu'u O'o collapsed as the magma retreated downstream. That is the crater where the huge smoke plumes were photographed. (I think there were some smaller plumes at HaleMaumau when rocks collapsed into the lava lake.) That collapse coincided with the big earthquake. There is now no lava activity at Pu'u O'o or in the Pu'u O'o lava fields that have been active for several decades
- At last count, there are 8 breakouts of spattering lava in the Puna area, well downstream from Pu'u O'o and Halemaumau
 

amy241

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We were on the Big Island from April 25th through a May 2nd. We were at Volcano House Hotel for the first 2 nights and the lava lake at Halema’uma’u was rising. Park rangers had indicated that pressure was rising and they expected an eruption at any time. Volcano Village experienced a small earthquake on April 26th. The volcano erupted the day after we left. I’m actually disappointed we were not there to see it as it would have been a once in a life time experience.
 

JIMinNC

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We were on the Big Island from April 25th through a May 2nd. We were at Volcano House Hotel for the first 2 nights and the lava lake at Halema’uma’u was rising. Park rangers had indicated that pressure was rising and they expected an eruption at any time. Volcano Village experienced a small earthquake on April 26th. The volcano erupted the day after we left. I’m actually disappointed we were not there to see it as it would have been a once in a life time experience.

Probably wouldn't have been much to see, though. My understanding is the receding lava levels in the Halema’uma’u lava lake has caused some rock collapses that periodically cause some ash plumes to come up from that crater, but other than that, all of the active lava is in the area in Puna where the evacuations have taken place, so sightseers are not allowed. Some may be visible from helicopter rides, but I'm not sure if the authorities have had the FAA issue any flight restrictions over the lava fissures and breakouts. I also saw that some or all of the National Park was closed. Not sure if that is still the case or not.
 

Luanne

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Probably wouldn't have been much to see, though. My understanding is the receding lava levels in the Halema’uma’u lava lake has caused some rock collapses that periodically cause some ash plumes to come up from that crater, but other than that, all of the active lava is in the area in Puna where the evacuations have taken place, so sightseers are not allowed. Some may be visible from helicopter rides, but I'm not sure if the authorities have had the FAA issue any flight restrictions over the lava fissures and breakouts. I also saw that some or all of the National Park was closed. Not sure if that is still the case or not.

Hawaii National Park, Hawai‘i – Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park reopened Sunday at 3 p.m. following a sequence of large, violent earthquakes that prompted a two-day closure and evacuation of park visitors and staff last Friday.

“Our primary objective is the safety of employees, park partners and visitors,” said Park Superintendent Cindy Orlando. “The limited opening allows us to respond to new volcanic and seismic events should they occur and the closures that remain are necessary to keep people out of dangerous and unassessed areas. Visitors should expect changing conditions and be prepared for unannounced closures,” she said.

Park staff are busy assessing trails, roads and buildings in the park, and thus far, minimal damage has been reported. However, several rock slides were triggered by the 6.9-magnitude earthquake that struck Friday at 12:32 p.m. and a slew of aftershocks and smaller earthquakes that preceded it. The USGS reported 500 earthquakes have occurred in and around Kīlauea Volcano since Friday afternoon, and smaller temblors continue today.

The following areas are open:
•The Entrance Station from Highway 11 to Jaggar Museum is open from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m.; Jaggar Museum will close at 8 p.m. (the outdoor overlook will remain open until 10 p.m.)
•Kīlauea Visitor Center is open from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m.
•Sulphur Banks Trail
•Steam Vents parking lot
•Crater Rim Trail is open from Kīlauea Overlook to Jaggar Museum only
•The Entrance Station to the 1969 lava flow near Mauna Ulu
•Mauna Ulu to Pu‘uhuluhulu (Nāpau Trail is closed past Pu‘uhuluhulu)
•Escape Road from Highway 11 to Mauna Ulu
•Mauna Loa Road from Highway 11 to the Mauna Loa Lookout and Kīpukapuaulu

Any area in the park not listed here is closed, including most trails, Nāhuku (Thurston Lava Tube), Kīlauea Iki, Devastation Trail and Pu‘u Pua‘i and Chain of Craters Road past Mauna Ulu.

Due to the hazardous and unpredictable ash plume coming from Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō vent, there is a Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) above the vent. Aircraft (including drones) are not permitted in the TFR, which extends 3,000 feet above ground level and a two-mile radius from the vent. Relief aircraft on official flights approved by the National Park Service are the only aircraft allowed in the area.
 

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I know the western coast of the Big Island is far from the lava flows, but are there any air quality problems being experienced in the Kona area or along the western coast? Smoke or sulfur dioxide?
Thanks in advance.
 

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The Haileys

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These videos are simply mind-blowing ... there's more on the vimeo page, too.

May 6, 2018 HUGE Fissure Eruption

May 4, 2018 Third Leilani Eruption
 

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Has anyone stayed at the Waikoloa resorts since the volcano has been erupting? My wife is really allergic to sulfur and we're concerned that she'll be miserable in Waikoloa. It's still early but we're staying in late August (Kingsland) and want to know in time to cancel if necessary.
 

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Has anyone stayed at the Waikoloa resorts since the volcano has been erupting? My wife is really allergic to sulfur and we're concerned that she'll be miserable in Waikoloa. It's still early but we're staying in late August (Kingsland) and want to know in time to cancel if necessary.

I wouldn’t be concerned if you stay up in Waikoloa, North Coast, or Hilo. The prevailing tradewinds carry the Vog across the southern end of the island, across Maui and Oahu.

We just left there the day it started and you wouldn’t even know anything was happening at the Waikoloa resort. We were there 2 weeks and the winds either came east to west across the saddle or from the north.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro
 

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We threw in the towel the other day. Re-booked the reservation for a different Island.
 

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Hilton sent me a great deal for a preview stay at waikoloa.....

I would take advantage of it but already booked for Maui and Aulani.
 
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DaveNV

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We decided it’s a bit too unstable on the Big Island right now, so I switched things to Kauai instead. Alaska Airlines was great to switch our flight home without change fees. Hawaiian Airlines website says change fees are waived, so switching our inter-island flight will be simple.

Dave
 

T_R_Oglodyte

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The thick column of pink ash and smoke you saw was Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō. The lava lake image you saw was most likely Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō. It collapsed April 30. Today the lava lake in Halemaumau Crater dropped its level by 1000 ft. Where did that magma go? Back down inside the earth to come out again somewhere else. Not looking too good for Hawaii right now as that lava has to go somewhere.

What has likely happened inside the mountain. The magma is pushing up, with the main outlet at the summit crater. But there are also side passageways that feed Pu'u O'o and the southeast rift zone.

The side passages are constricted, so while some magma heads that direction, most of it is has been pushed toward the summit. That has maintained a higher magma level in the summit crater as compared with Pu'u O'o. Just like with a leak in a pipe, when you increase the pressure more water shoots out through the leak. The same thing has been going on inside the mountain. There has been a kind of stasis, with the magma level rising high enough at the main crater to increase the pressure inside the mountain sufficiently so that the magma being expelled would all go to the side outlets. The magma level at the top has been fluctuating, but no eruptions.

But something happened inside the mountain to open the passageways to the side. So there is less resistance to flow in that direction, which reduces the pressure inside the mountain. So now the magma in the lake at the summit is draining back into the volcano and increasing the flow to the southwest. The magma level will continue to drop until such as the pressure inside the mountain equilibrates at a lower level that adjusts for the altered sideflow capacity.

If there is a surface eruption, it would likely happen if the magma level drops below the groundwater table inside the mountain. If that happens, water will start to flow into the magma chamber, where it will become superheated and lead to explosive steam eruptions.
 

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We threw in the towel the other day. Re-booked the reservation for a different Island.


We we’re planning to spend half our time in Honolulu and half on the Big Island. We decided last Sunday just to spend our entire time in Oahu. Normally you would have little to no chance of getting something this late at HGVC in Honolulu. This afternoon a ton of units became available at HGVC Lagoon Tower in Honolulu. My guess is that enough people are canceling their entire Hawaiian vacation. I know the Big Island is really hurting with all the cancellations.
 
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JIMinNC

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We we’re planning to spend half our time in Honolulu and half on the Big Island. We decided last Sunday just to spend our entire time in Oahu. Normally you would have little to no chance of getting something this late at HGVC in Honolulu. This afternoon a ton of units became available at HGVC Lagoon Tower in Honolulu. My guess is that enough people are canceling their entire Hawaiian vacation. I know the Big Island is really hurting with all the cancellations.

As others have said, there has been little to no impact on most of the Big Island. The impacts of the lava eruptions around Pahoa are extremely localized and other past eruptions have had more serious/widespread lava impacts to the southeastern flanks of Kilauea, and to more residents, than this one. The activity at the summit is more significant than any in recent years, but even that is unlikely to have significant impacts on Waikoloa, which is over 50 air miles away with a couple of 10,000+ ft mountains in between. Obviously, nothing is impossible, but the risk of significant impact in Waikoloa from Kilauea is fairly remote. I certainly wouldn't cancel a trip to Waikoloa over that level of risk.

Part of the issue here is the video coming out of the island is fairly dramatic, so it's gotten a lot of coverage by the TV broadcast news, making it seem worse than it is. The real impacts are very localized and I suspect the people who keep their Hawaii vacations intact will have wonderful trips. The sensationalism has gotten so bad that this morning I received a news alert on my phone from one of the major international news organizations that there were "grave concerns a second Hawaii volcano was about to erupt," or something to that effect. Turns out they were reporting that the USGS has Mauna Loa rated as "Very High Threat Potential." Well, Mauna Loa has been at that threat level for decades, because it is still classified as an active volcano. It hasn't erupted since 1984, and that eruption only lasted about 3 weeks. It could erupt again tomorrow...but that was also true a month ago or a year ago. Kilauea has been erupting continuously since January 1983, with a number of more intense episodes like this one mixed in, but the impacts have always been relatively localized to the immediate area. Just prior to our honeymoon in 1992, there was an elevation of lava activity and eruptive intensity, and during our trip, we were able to walk on a lava surface that was only about a couple days old (under the supervision of park rangers). It required about a 30 minute walk over rough lava fields from the end of Chain of Craters Road. We could see lava spurting into the air just a few hundred yards away as it entered the ocean. It was incredible to watch that close.

Our next Hawaii trip isn't until Feb/Mar 2019, but even if it were next week, we would not hesitate to go. The only folks who I would recommend cancel their trips would be those who were going to the Big Island for the sole/primary purpose of going to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. I think the park could be closed for an extended time - at least until Pele settles down a little bit.
 

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Our next Hawaii trip isn't until Feb/Mar 2019, but even if it were next week, we would not hesitate to go. The only folks who I would recommend cancel their trips would be those who were going to the Big Island for the sole/primary purpose of going to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. I think the park could be closed for an extended time - at least until Pele settles down a little bit.


And that is primarily why we changed our plans. I've been to the BI many times, and the purpose of this trip was to explore areas of the Park we hadn't been to before. I'm disappointed, but I'll go there another time, when things are less crazy.

Another point to consider, for those still going to the BI, is the areas of the island that are NOT closed will be more crowded due to the concentration of people who have no place else to go. So unless yo'll stay resort-bound, be prepared for increased crowds and traffic when you go out.

Dave
 
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