AS She Blows, here we go again!

[DiLeon]

Hitting world news, We are in the middle of a winter storm and major rain but top it off... it has been almost forty years. A few years ago it was a small volcano that destroy eight hundred homes and tons of roads. This volcano is one of the largest active volcanoes in the world...Mauna Loa just erupted. Hawaii County Civil Defense confirmed at 6:30 a.m. PACIFIC TIME that lava has exited the Mauna Loa summit. Shelters are being set up. I worry because I know people who live in these areas.

I do not live on the big island of Hawaii, I live in the people's zoo, Oahu almost two hundred miles away. But we do get volcano ash, which is the last thing I need with the problem with my eyes. what next wear goggles all the time. That means that darn NOAA radio is going to be blasting warnings all day...if she gets worst. A necessary evil as I live where there is no disaster sirens. There have been major geological deep earthquakes this week around the world, some scientist thinks it is all connected?? The picture was taken at dawn this AM. On a note, our volcanos are slowly happening in the past..but lately, we are having hundreds of years of events...nothing would shock me anymore.


mokuaweoweo-mauna-loa-eruption-601-am-1024x576.jpg

[NoDNA]

Am so wondering about, the big what if? And as you say it is happening, I say it is natural. and nay sayers will say it is global warming. Most people on the west coast here should start looking at the World as a whole. And stop worrying about world pollution, as One volcano can be more destructive than 90% of all our industries.
We went through almost 6" of ash from Mt St. Helens.

I do hope that you don't have to put up with the fall out though. And wish you well.

Chuck in Eastern Washington

[DiLeon]

Am so wondering about, the big what if? And as you say it is happening, I say it is natural. and nay sayers will say it is global warming. Most people on the west coast here should start looking at the World as a whole. And stop worrying about world pollution, as One volcano can be more destructive than 90% of all our industries.
We went through almost 6" of ash from Mt St. Helens.

I do hope that you don't have to put up with the fall out though. And wish you well.

Chuck in Eastern Washington

Volcanism is the main pathway for the transfer of carbon and other volatiles stored in the deep Earth to the surface. Volcanic carbon dioxide (CO₂) is a key non-anthropogenic regulator of atmospheric CO₂ levels and has, over geologic time scales, affected the evolution of Earth’s climate change. But the fact is we live among idiots who are starving people and blaming fuels and more which yes is a tiny issue. Science continues to be downplayed for man's money. As they said one volcano can bring the earth's climate to the ice age. Seems to me we should be preparing for real-life events instead.

Ash does come here, it is called vog, depending on the trade winds. Got my goggle and tons of masks....smile. Most people worry about freezing to death, but here it is volcanos blowing. Wonder if we have rocks flying out of volcanoes big as cows like last time....LOL, the cow people had fit over that one.

[DiLeon]

[SIZE=16px]Am so wondering about, the big what if? One volcano can be more destructive than 90% of all our industries.

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Do you know what my what if is? One volcano can bring the ice age. It is Hilina fault line which moves every time there is a big earthquake and the fault sits on volcanos on the big island. That thing is going to slide into the ocean in a thousand years (as if they have a big crystal ball to predict such things) and cause a mega-tsunami. The fault sits on the edge of the big island. Mauna loa has a major blow I say goodbye to the chunk of island. And they thought the Tonga tsunami was bad? All we have to worry about is another ice age. And those mega-tsunamis, they will have tons more to worry about than climate change. Just my opinion because it is normal happening with the earth as it slides, moves, and more underneath us. This is my big what if?

[Claude]

Mount Pinatubo eruption in the Philippines was a bad one... I hope Mauna Loa doesn't do the same thing...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1991_eruption_of_Mount_Pinatubo

Claude

[pallin]

Reports here are that the lava flow is confined to the summit crater. I was wondering about the observatories on Mauna Kea. All reporting seems designed to "influence" (alarm or calm) rather convey facts.

[DiLeon]

Reports here are that the lava flow is confined to the summit crater. I was wondering about the observatories on Mauna Kea. All reporting seems designed to "influence" (alarm or calm) rather convey facts.

I super agree with you. Honestly people and geologists are very excited the biggest shield volcano in the world has erupted in the caldera as they are flying in here from all over the world again. It is a fact that a crack developed in the caldera last night and then split open. This report is as bad news in the geologist world, due to the way it erupted. I have no idea what that means??

Our news channels are reporting Lava has largely been contained to the caldera, but has also migrated to a rift zone on the northeast side. Another local news report says it is spilling and I have news pics of it running down the mountain but unknown if it is an old photo of an old spill??? . I just saw one out-of-state report that made it sound like the whole island needs to be evacuated, which is a laugh at how bad the news is. But it is noted here in Hawaii.... what your news report was during the last eruption a few years ago... and what was really happening here was different as night and day. USGS remains quiet often until they get their ducks in order. People of Hawaii no concern, we have grown too used to eruptions over the years...that is until they start eating houses. In fact, it is business as normal other than the no-fly alert is up due to ash. Photos are super bad due to the ash. Honestly, with the news, it changes major with time, but past experience we can not depend on the USGS or news for any real information.... the only way I can find out is to join a Facebook page of what the local people are saying. There have been times things were a hundred times worst than what was reported and other times it was nothing. Hopefully, I can get in touch with friends and true information but I am on the same page as you are, it is unknown what is really happening.

[DiLeon]

convey facts.

Here is the latest news I got, again take it as grain of salt. Things are changing by the hour. The eruption had remained confined to the summit caldera early Monday, but USGS Volcanoes and the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency later reported some overflowing on the southwest portion. Shortly before 12:20 p.m. EST (7:20 a.m. HST) USGS Volcanoes announced the volcano's eruption had moved to the northeast rift zone, with lava flows heading downslope to the north.

[DiLeon]

Ok direct from Hawaii tracker is

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reported by the people for the people: reports the lava is already 4 miles from the crater. Hawaii Volcano Observatory has said there are eruptions beginning along the NE rift zone. No information if these are fissure eruptions. Ash warning has been canceled for the time being. People in the big island called Hawaii island are major scrambling for information, as they want to know if they are in danger. So far reported USGS that the volcano is no danger to local communities at this time.

[DiLeon]

If you have time this is a great honest writing of ....This is what it is like to be in a volcano eruption in Hawaii written by D. Dupoint. Day 1 (The Eruption Starts) - At 3:35 am, you’re awoken by your cell phone ringing. Half asleep, you roll over and notice a red tint to the sky outside your window. Upon checking your phone you see a dozen missed calls and several text messages telling you that Mauna Loa is erupting. Unsure in the heat of the moment what to do, you log onto Facebook looking for something official on the eruption. You feel another earthquake. You need more information. No evacuation notices have been issued as activity is currently confined to the summit region, but authorities are warning that activity could migrate further down to one of the rift zones. You feel another earthquake. You see a post saying USGS upgraded the Volcano Alert Level on Mauna Loa from Orange/WATCH to Red/WARNING. They say that the volcano only gave them a couple of hours of warning to work with before erupting. You feel another earthquake. Social media is full of pictures of the red glow and speculation as to what comes next. You see one of your friends from the mainland suggests that all of Hawaii Island should evacuate immediately and something about a megatsunami... That is enough internet for now. Someone in the household can’t sleep due to the frequent earthquakes, but after an hour the earthquakes reside, but the red glow in the sky remains.
You don’t even try to get any more sleep, Mauna Loa is actually erupting! When the sun finally rises, the news is full of videos of lava fountains from the summit eruption that woke you in the night. A fissure well over a mile long was putting down multiple lava flows extending down from the caldera. An official morning update on the volcano’s status is posted online, they say that the lava extends down from the summit 3 miles to the south but lava flows haven’t left the rift zone. They say that current activity is confined to the summit region. By 9 am activity at the eruptive vents has slowed some but continues to erupt, a pillar of volcanic gas can be seen from your house over Mauna Loa. Their worry currently is about the rift zones, particularly the Southwest Rift Zone which has been showing signs of magma moving into it. The Department of Education announces that all schools on the south slopes of Mauna Loa stretching from Konawaena to Pahala will not open today. You feel another earthquake. You decide it’s best to play it safe today and stay home in case the call comes to evacuate, maybe prepare a few things so you call out of work. Most everyone else at work had the same reaction as you did, they also called out of work with many needing to watch their kids with the sudden cancellation of school, your employer will not be opening at all today.
You watch and wait at home, tied to the latest news wondering if you’ll need to evacuate. The eruption is the talk of the town and online throughout the day, it even makes national and international news. You talk to a friend in Waikoloa Village that invites you to stay with them if you would like to. You decline politely for the time being. You see that by 5 pm the eruption has ceased, yet the pillar of gas remains towering over Mauna Loa’s summit. You see friends online talk about dodging a bullet from the volcano, while others suggest the eruption is not over yet and is moving downslope into the rift zones underground, and others are stocking up on supplies in Kona… somehow Costco is already out of toilet paper.

You check the news again before bed. You feel another earthquake. Authorities start by urging residents to remain on high alert, the eruption could resume at any time. Monitoring is ongoing they say, decisions to issue evacuation orders may come at any time anywhere on the southside of Mauna Loa. You look out the window to see the sky is dark minus some stars, and you think about how the sky is clearer when the volcanoes are not erupting. You find it hard to sleep. You feel another earthquake.

[DiLeon]

Mount Pinatubo eruption in the Philippines was a bad one... I hope Mauna Loa doesn't do the same thing...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1991_eruption_of_Mount_Pinatubo

Claude

Being that all these islands and oceans around us are all volcanos.....clearly, events like that formed these islands....so would not be shocked at all. I am at the place.. no matter where you live mother nature has had its major moments. Contact friends on the big island their only concern is they can not see the mountain and what is happening unlike the last major event from the last one. They could see it coming their way. One is packing their grab-and-go bags if needed. Me,.... is it is pouring rain, cats, dogs, and feral pigs here....I can not see the mountains either.

[pallin]

Thanks, Di. for your very responsive comments.
The volcanos of Hawai'i are very similar to what we have found on Venus and Mars. Seriously.
The ones on Mars are shield volcanos, built up over thousands (millions) of years. There is little evidence of tectonic plate movement on either Mars or Venus. The Hawaiian Islands are stretched out by the movement of the Pacific plate over a hot plume of magma rising from deeper in the earth's core. This sort of plume is unusual on the earth. If there wasn't plate movement the volcanos would grow higher. Olympus Mons (Mars) is 85,000 ft. above the surrounding terrain. Several others on the Tarsis Ridge are about 45,000 ft. Maxwell Montes (Venus) is 36,000 ft. above the surrounding terrain. This is about what Mauna Loa would measure from its base on the ocean floor.

[DiLeon]

Thanks, Di. for your very responsive comments.
The volcanos of Hawai'i are very similar to what we have found on Venus and Mars. Seriously.
The ones on Mars are shield volcanos, built up over thousands (millions) of years. There is little evidence of tectonic plate movement on either Mars or Venus.

Major thanks for your information, I never knew that and very interesting. I have been wondering as there has been a lot of deep earth tectonic plate movement around the ring of fire lately....if it would affect the volcano magma to move to the surface. But your statement sort of rules that out.

[Randy]

Well the rain is either keeping the ash fall down or you have ash mud rain. I never thought much about it, having never lived in a volcanic affected area, and then Mt St Helen blew up in March of 1980. I was living in Oklahoma City at the time, I came out to go to work the next mornig and the car was coved in light layer of white ash. I started looking at the real effects that volcanic explosions had in world history. Really interesting and a bit scary. I had never realized Yellowstone was one of the worlds large calderas. Hope the rain and the ash letup soon DI.

[pallin]

Di - (some other interesting facts): We found about 125 volcanos on Venus, probably all extinct, maybe millions of years old.
About 85% of the surface of Venus is lava flow - no oceans 'cause the atmospheric temp is over 800 deg. F.