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Kilauea volcano eruption 2018 resources for insight

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Kīlauea volcano is one of the five volcanoes on Hawaii, the Big Island of Hawaii. Eruptions have been happening there for hundreds of years. The eruption in 2018 has been very serious and long-lasting. My heart goes out to the people of Puna.Kīlauea is a shield volcano on the south side of Hawaii island. The 2018 eruption has produced a huge amount of lava to alter landscape of Puna region.

Timeline for Kīlauea volcano eruption

April 21 -27, 2018 the lava lake at Halema’uma’u overflowed

April 30 Pu’u ‘Ō’ō crater, down rift from the summit of Kīlauea volcano (about 12 miles), collapsed and drained of lava. Pu’u ‘Ō’ō was an active source of eruptions since 1983.

May

usgs-rift-zone-2

US Geological Survey

Over 20 fissures opened in lower Puna producing lava, SO2 gas, and Pele’s tears, about 25 miles from the summit. Earthquakes occur daily at the summit, resulting in up to 3 plume explosions per day. Homes in Leilani Estates, Lanipuna Gardens and other areas destroyed. About 500 people living in shelters. The Hawaiian Volcanoes National Park closes. Animals were left behind in the rush to evacuate. Along with pets, cattle, sheep, goats, and chickens were left in inaccessible areas.

  • May 3 Cracks, fissures, gases, and lava begin to erupt in the Lower East Rift Zone in Leilani Estates south of Pahoa. The fissures extended for 4 miles.
  • May 4, 2018 Halema’uma’u crater at the summit of Kīlauea volcano had a major collapse producing an ash plume with a magnitude 6.9 earthquake.
  • May 10 lava lake at summit disappears
  • May 11, 2018 Hawaii Volcanoes National Park closes.
  • May 20 Fissures 16 through 20 make fountains that produce a lava flow that reaches the ocean.
  • May 21 Fissure 22 produces a lava fountain 160 feet tall.
  • May 23 Methane gas emerges from cracks in the ground. Vegetation buried by lava produces gas that makes a blue flame.
  • May 25 Fissure 8 (Ewalu) reactivates works up to fountaining over 200 feet in the air. Lava flow becomes a channelized river.

June

 Fissure 8 (Ewalu) continued to produce over 7 million gallons of lava per hour, pouring through a channelized river to Kapoho. New land continued to be produced. Gas emissions go up to 40,000 tonnes of SO2 per day. Lava in the river was flowing at 9 m/s. Earthquakes at the summit were in cycles of about 30 hours, about 700 earthquakes in each cycle.usgs-tilt-data-july

July

Kīlauea is a shield volcano on the south side of Hawaii island. The 2018 eruption has produced a huge amount of lava to alter landscape of Puna region.

US Geological Survey

Fissure 8 continued to pump lava through the channelized river to Kapoho. The SO2 gas produced is about 20,000 tons per day. 50 to 100 cubic meters of lava per second from the 180-foot tall cone at Fissure 8 (USGS 07.10.18) 800,000 to 1.6 million gallons per minute. Over 760 acres of new land has been added to the island.

The earthquakes at the summit fall into a pattern with hundreds of earthquakes during day building up to a large magnitude 5+ quake happening every 21 – 35 hours. The summit collapse produces small ash plumes. About 2 hours after the large quake, a surge of lava happens at Fissure 8. About 250 people living in shelters. The National Park continues to be closed. Tiny homes at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Pahoa open for evacuees.  

  • July 11, 2018 The lava river changed course and inundated Kalea destroying the warm ponds at Ahalanui State Park, beloved Kua O Ka La school, and Secrets surf spot.
  • July 17, 2018 A lava tour boat was in the Kalea ocean entry vicinity when a lava bomb hit the boat. 23 people were injured, one quite seriously. A hydrovolcanic explosion can occur when ‘a‘ā lava suddenly comes in contact with seawater under the surface.
  • July 28, 2018 An outbreak of lava from the channelized flow near Halekamahina started a brush fire that burned several homes and buildings. 
  • marzo-kalea-ocean-entry

    Ocean entry seen outside the warm ponds July 12, 2018. Image from Ikaika Marzo: Full video: https://www.facebook.com/ikaika.marzo/videos/1881960195189841/

August

As the month began, Fissure 8 was still pumping lava in a pattern that included pulses and a surge about an hour after summit collapse. The surge would reach the ocean entry about 12 hours later. USGS calculates the flow to be about 0.5 cubic kilometers (1.32 x 1011 gallons or 1.32 hundred billion gallons). The Kīlauea summit area was experiencing 600 to 900 earthquakes per day. A large magnitude 5+ earthquake with summit collapse would occur approximately every 40 hours. 155 people living in shelters with more living in tents. 840 acres of new land formed and 13.4 square miles covered with lava. Lava had spread to the Po’hoiki area (Isaac Hale State Park), very close to the boat ramp.

  • August 2, 2018 Day 91 A collapse event at the summit was a 5.4 magnitude earthquake at 11:55 Hawaii Standard Time.
  • August 4, 2018 Day 93 The lava river appeared crusted over and the lava within Fissure 8 dropped down to where it was only occasionally flowing out of the cone. The ocean entry was still active. 
  • August 17, 2018 The USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory lowered the Alert level from Warning to Watch. “no signs of imminent hazardous activity are present at this time”
  • August 21, 2018 Ocean entries of lava cease.
  • Fissure 8, Aug 5, USGS

    US Geological Survey

Terms and hazards

Laze, SO2, vog, littoral explosion, lava boat (wa’a), ʻaʻā, pāhoehoe, magma, lava, Pele’s hair, ash plume, lava bombs, methane flames, tephra, reticulite, olivine crystals, tumulus

Lava boat (wa’a) video from Ikaika Marzo

 Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

national-park-hazard-map

US Geological Survey

Kahuku Unit is open (Highway 11, mile marker 70.5, Ka’ū). Ranger talks continue at Mokupāpapa Discovery Center in downtown Hilo and Volcano Art Center’s Niaulani Campus in Volcano Village. Jaggar Museum and Hawaii Volcanoes Observatory were shook and covered with ash. Cracks appeared in the parking lot, overlook, and foundations of buildings. Volcano House is partially open. The park reopened with limited access on September 22, 2018. An eruption museum will be open soon in Pahoa. 

hvnp-open-sep22

History of Lower East Rift Zone Eruptions

Eruption

Duration

Erupted volume

Eruption rate

1840

26 days

210 × 106  m3

94 m3 /s

1955

88 days

 81 × 106  m3  

31 m3 /s

1960

38 days

122 × 106  m3  

38 m3 /s

2018

110 days

by August 21

 800 × 106  m3

 

100 m3 /s

The summit was subsiding at a rate of 144 m3/s, which may be the amount of lava that was fed into the Lower East Rift Zone. 0.8 km3 (800 x 106 m3) subsided at the summit (about 764 Empire State Buildings), the most in Kīlauea’s recorded history. 60,000 earthquakes occurred, 875 acres of new land formed and 13.7 square miles covered with lava. Federal Aviation Administration Temporary Flight Restriction over Halema’uma’u and Puna expired on October 3. USGS Volcano Hazards Program lowered the alert level to yellow on October 5. 

Resource links for Kīlauea volcano

People to follow on Facebook

hot-seat-hawaii

Bruce Omori and Mick Kalber, Hot Seat Hawaii

Mileka Lincoln, Ikaika Marzo, Hot Seat Hawaii, Tropical Visions Video Inc. (Mick Kalber), Extreme Exposure Fine Art Gallery (Bruce Omori), Philip Ong, Hawaii Tracker, G. Brad Lewis, Andrew Hara, Micah Gauthier, Ken Boyer

Giving to help Puna evacuees

  1. Pu’uhonua o Puna Monetary donations:

Bank of Hawaii has an account set up with the name Pu’uhonua o Puna. Drop by or call any branch to make a donation. The bank account # is 0094851327. Go to www.boh.com and click on Locations to find a branch. All money collected will go directly to residents impacted by lava activities. If you want to give online, you can do that via GoFundMe page: https://www.gofundme.com/puuhonuaopuna

  1. Cecily Wagner is managing the official Amazon wishlist for Pu’uhonua o Puna

 https://www.amazon.com/registry/wishlist/1WJRMZK56FWP/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_ep_ws_G8rlBbS38QQDT

3.

https://www.facebook.com/puuhonuaopuna/

Scroll through to see the latest list of what the people need

Looking to ship/mail items to Pu’uhonua O Puna

Since mail to Pāhoa is impacted, please send donations to either address listed below. This will ensure pick up and direct delivery to the Hub…..Mahalo

Pu‘uhonua O Puna

c/o Ashley Kierkiewicz

2366 Kinoole Street

Hilo, HI 96720

Ryan K Towing

(Lava Relief)

16-366 Railroad Avenue

Kea’au, HI 96749

 

I’ve been using the Ryan K Towing on Amazon – they put up videos when they unpack the boxes!

4.

https://www.amazon.com/registry/giftlist/3RFDAC4H9WN54/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_ep_ukn_lWrhBbVH260NE

this list has a Hilo address built in. The Gauthiers  are amazing! They add to their list from needs all around the community.

  1. https://www.catholiccharitieshawaii.org/relief-support/
  2. Please help the Hawaii Lava Flow Animal Rescue Networkby fulfilling one or more requests on their Amazon Wish List: 

https://www.amazon.com/registry/wishlist/2VUU7VL33L4OE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_ep_ws_eMBhBbN2KMF9V

  1. https://www.worldcentralkitchen.org/donate

World Central Kitchen provided 1000 hot meals a day to the people of Puna, over 50,000 meals

  1. Gas gift cards help all those delivering supplies to the shelters, camps, and the Hub. National stations in area are 76, Texaco, and Shell. I have bought 76 gas cards on the website

 http://www.svmcards.com/76-gift-cards/ShowDetails.cfm?ProdID=246

Ryan K Towing

(Lava Relief)

16-366 Railroad Avenue

Kea’au, HI 96749

808-961-6131

  1. Kua o Ka La school is having to relocate and with school starting up again soon funds are needed to keep the wonderful education our keikis are given going. Donations are needed. Please give if you can. ‪https://www.gofundme.com/relocate-school-displaced-by-lava
  2. The Hawaii Tracker team has been working without pay for months to provide up-to-date accurate information on the eruption. Please give if you can. https://hawaiitracker.com/
  3. Friends of Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park is a non-profit that supports the HVNP and offers nature programs https://www.fhvnp.org/donate/giving-opportunities/

pedersen-contour-mapMethane and blue flames

An explanation of methane and the blue flames from geologist Janet Babb:

https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/vsc/movies/movie_173961.html

Video of methane flames from USGS, 05.22.18

“With lava now advancing through lush vegetation along Kīlauea Volcano’s lower East Rift Zone, these explosions have become a concern. If you approach a lava flow that’s encroaching on vegetation, you risk being greeted by the blast of an explosion. Depending on how close you are to the advancing flow, your experience could range from hearing a far-away “boom,” to being thrown several meters (yards) across hard, abrasive lava as the ground beneath you disintegrates. Regardless of where you’re standing, the sound of these explosions is a call for your respect! Read more at https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/observatories/hvo/hvo_volcano_watch.html?vwid=1366

Geochemistry of erupted lava

From US Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, July 27, 2018 Volcano Watch:

“What’s happening inside the volcano?” is just one of many questions asked about Kīlauea’s ongoing lower East Rift Zone eruption. Looking at the geochemistry of erupted lava can help us answer these questions.

Magma supplying Kīlauea’s eruption is composed of melt (molten rock), mineral crystals, and dissolved gases or gas bubbles (exsolved gases). Elements that make up magma can stay in the melt or can build crystals depending on the magma temperature, pressure, and abundance of other elements.

Experimental work has found that the elements magnesium and calcium move between the melt and specific mineral crystals depending on temperature. So, the amount of magnesium and calcium in lava reflects the temperature of the magma.” Read more at https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/observatories/hvo/hvo_volcano_watch.html?vwid=1375

 

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Related links

Teaching volcanoes

Emergency disaster response

Ka’u and Puna regions

 

 

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