Hawaii (State of) Travel Forum

It seems that there is an ongoing lengthening across the summit caldera (Moku`aweoweo). This means the magma reservoir is swelling which could lead to a summit eruption with possible devastating results. Go here for more details:

http://wwwhvo.wr.usgs.gov/volcanowatch/current_issue.html

I hope the best for you guys that live there.

BCT

Surface breaks within 575 yds of the Chain of Craters road??? It took me almost 3 hours to hike to any kind of activity when I was there last year. Just shows you how unpredictable volcanoes are. Still, I'd love to see it. Thanks for the info!!!

maybe I'm wrong, but i thought the volcano around the Chain of Craters is related to Kilauea Volcano. Mauna Loa is another volcano, right? It hasn't erupted since I've lived here; last time was in '84.

Hexepatty,
You are correct. Mauna Loa and Kilauea are two separate volcanos. The surface flows in the news recently are related to Kilauea. Mauna Loa hasn't seen an eruption in about 20 years.

Thanks for the info. I will be in Oahu for week Nov.3 -9.
After Mt.St.Helens (Washington U.S.A.) erupted in 1980,the first time, I decided to go and see it. Fortuantely my hitch-hiking skills were weak and I was just south of Seattle when it erupted the second time.
From that website, volcanowatch, it sounds like this will be more of an interesting event, and not scary.
Thanks
~peter~

Yeah, Max. But uh... let's just hope She's Not Swelling That Much when we meet up 8 Nov. at HUGOS for our 2nd Hawaii VT Gathering (shameless plug!)

Seriously, I don't like the sounds of this one! Mauna Loa is the one that makes the West side (your side!) Lava-strewn. And down S. West side (near South Point....) Yep, this one - hopefully - is a few years off!

love you, Max!!! (hope your mom is well!)
- patty

A Lo Ha !!

It's like in California ... When the BIG ONE hits Bakersfield will be beachfront! They have been saying that stuff for decades now and so far Bakersfield still has no surf!

If you read the article you might notice that they have no way of predicting the "WHEN" thing! Fifty years or next week ...

It's still not a sure thing ... The Puuo'o vent is still pretty weak compared to a year ago. Pele, eh, species femalia!

At least these volcanos are not the Mt. St. Helens type ...

YIKES ...
TA!
Kaimu

diver-x,
It's not 575 yards - it's 0 (zero) yds! Look at the photo in my t-logue.

Kaimu,
Even Mt. St. Helens was more than expected and several of those killed in the blast were OUTSIDE the danger zone set by the geologists. And talking about cataclysmic events that may happen: What if Highway 11 on the Big Island becomes like California's Coast Highway 1 and the little town of Volcano becomes a sleepy seaside town way up on a 3,500 foot cliff when everything south of the rift ("the big crack") falls into the ocean? That could happen.
But seriously Kaimu, what they are worried about is that the swelling has been constant. Unfortunately, they have no exact timeframe as to when Mauna Loa may "relieve" that pressure.

A Lo ha !

Yes... and what "if" a big asteroid hits the Earth and a chunk the size of Orlando becomes a new planet?

TA!
Kaimu

As many of you may know the Hawaiian Island chain is produced by the largest hot spot on the Earth. The hotspot remians in a fairly fixed place - but the Pacific Plate moves over it at a fairly rapid pace. About 1 to 2 years ago a large lava dome to the west of the Big Island collapsed underwater. This was an embryonic island undergoing growing pains. What is really interesting is that it didn't produce a tsunami at all. As for Bakersfield becoming beachfront property - it will but only in several million years. The grapevine bend in the fault is giving the Pacific plate a hell of a time (hence big earthquakes like Northridge). It looks like after the Western Fringe of California becomes a Northward heading island - it will slam into Alaska and create another tall mountain chain. Damn do I want a time machine.

Bryant

Hey Kaimu,
LOL! Never let it be said that you lack imagination.

caffeine_induced,
You meant to say to the "east" of the Big Island....right? That is where the "newest" island is forming. It's supposed to break the surface of the ocean in about a 100,000 years or so at its current construction rate. And this brings about another ponderation: Who gets to claim the new island when it surfaces?

Howdy, Y'all!

Sorry, I've been offline for a long time. Busy, but no excuses.

Mauna Loa is swelling - by inches a month. They are talking anywhere from months to years before an outbreak occurs. The people in "imminent" danger are those who built their houses in subdivisions on the slopes of Mauna Loa. Didn't anyone learn from the Royal Gardens Subdivision, which burned up when Kilauea let loose from the Puu O'o vent?

The last eruption of Mauna Loa, in 1984 or 1985, sent a flow of lava down the NE slopes of the mountain toward Hilo town. It stopped about 5 miles from town, but scared the patooties out of everyone. (There is nothing you can do to stop a lava flow!)

The "new" eruption would break out on the southwest flank of Mauna Loa, probably wiping out the ridiculously poorly planned 10,000 lot Hawaiian Ocean View Estates. Maybe that would be a good thing. They're more worried about evacuation time, since the SW slopes are steep, and the lava would cascade downhill, as opposed to the slower flow down the NE slopes during the 1984 flow.

On a brighter side, I went lava watching two weekends ago. Went down to the lava flow in the evening and saw the red glow where the lava entered the ocean (and the steam plumes), and the flying rocks when the waves hit the hot lava. Quite impressive.

Walked mauka (toward the mountain) of the main trail along a new trail that the rangers just put out. (They mark a walking trail with reflective yellow tabs.) The new trail took us to a new outbreak of lava. We walked right up to the flow!!! When we first got there, I was about 10 feet from the hot lava! Amazing stuff! Fortunately I figured out which way was "upwind" so I moved to the right and spent about an hour watching the lava flow, puddle, start to harden, then ooze out and start the whole process over again. It moved very slowly, so we had a good viewpoint from the rocks we were standing on.

Now that I have seen a live lava flow, I can cross one more item off my list of "must see" things.

Aloha!
Kahiwa