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| Lava approaching Puna Geothermal last year. The owners hope to reopen it by the end of this year, with new water well, road, and electric substation. Photo by Kai Kahele |
The facility has been offline since last May when lava threatened and Ormat covered its geothermal wells with clay, air shipped to the island. The idea was that the wells could be preserved by encapsulating them. The lava would flow over and around them without destroying them. Recent "tests from the geothermal injection wells indicate higher temperatures at the reservoir with no sign of any negative impact on pressure."
Ormat's Fourth Quarter and Year-End 2018 Earnings Call states that the company is "working rapidly to resume operation of our Puna power plant." Ormat states that the State of Hawaiʻi and Ormat's customer, Hawaiʻi Electric Light Co, which serves all of Hawaiʻi Island, are committed to "pursue all that is required to meet our target to operate Puna by the end of 2019."Ormat reports completing its access road and drilling a new well to source water to be boiled by the heat of lava to make electricity from steam. Plugs put in the geothermal to prevent blowouts during lava flow are being pulled.
Ormat is shipping a "large rig to the island to enable drilling additional wells if required,” states the report. A new electrical substation to replace the old one destroyed by lava flow could be built by the end of the year.
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.
KAʻŪ HOSPITAL AND HILO MEDICAL CENTER'S EFFORTS AT THE HAWAIʻI LEGISLATURE ARE GOING WELL, according to their newsletter released today. The newsletter reports:
HB527 and SB911 are among Hilo Medical Center's 2019 legislative priorities to improve cardiac care on Hawaiʻi Island by stopping heart attacks in progress. Both bills have passed out of their final committees and are advancing in the legislative process. "Mahalo to our community for continuing to support these bills."
HB1421: State Operating Budget for Hawaiʻi Health Systems Corporation is also making its way through the legislature, including funding for Kaʻū Hospital.
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| A Zoll Autopulse "gives our patients a fighting chance," at Kaʻū Hospital. Photo from Hilo Medical Center Newsletter. |
HB1410: Funds to expand the Kaʻū Rural Health Clinic to improve access to urgent care and outpatient behavioral health services.
SB887 SD1: Increasing Cigarette and Tobacco Tax for improvement purposes that include the Hawaiʻi Health Systems Corp.
SB887 SD1: Increasing Cigarette and Tobacco Tax for improvement purposes that include the Hawaiʻi Health Systems Corp.
HB722 HD1 and HB1447 HD1: To promote public education on palliative care and establish home- or community-based palliative care projects.
Follow the bills through the links above and submit testimony.
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.
KAʻŪ HOSPITAL OFFERS A ZOLL AUTOPULSE, which "gives our patients a fighting chance in Kaʻū," states the newsletter from affiliate Hilo Medical Center. The newsletter thanks the local community organization ʻO Kaʻū Kākou for raising funds to purchase the $16,000 in lifesaving equipment that provides high-quality automated Cardiac Pulmonary Resuscitation to victims of sudden cardiac arrest.
"I had first seen the AutoPulse at Molokaʻi General, a small hospital like ours where there is only one doctor and one nurse on duty at night," said Marie Aulani Hammond, Nurse Educator at Kaʻū Hospital. "Having the AutoPulse frees up our providers. It also does not get tired after two minutes. It keeps on going."
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.
INVASIVE LITTLE FIRE ANTS REACHED HAWAIʻI VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK recently, but the only location discovered is in the popular Steam Vents area and Mauna Ulu parking lot. "These are the first known populations of LFA in the park," says a statement from the park.
Since the end of the 2018 lower East Rift Zone eruption on Kīlauea Volcano, questions have surfaced concerning how long it will take for the new lava flows to solidify. This is a difficult question to answer, because the initial eruptive temperatures along with many different factors can influence the rate of cooling.
Eruptive lava temperatures of the 2018 LERZ eruption reached a maximum of approximately 1140 degrees Celsius (2080 degrees Fahrenheit). When the entire flow cools below about 1000° C (1800° F), it has solidified, but the interior is still very hot.
Arguably the most influential factor determining how fast lava cools is the thickness of the flow. Other factors include heat loss from both the top (to the atmosphere) and bottom of a flow (into the ground). Contributing to heat loss at the flow's surface are air temperature, rainfall, and wind.
The initial contact between a lava flow, the air above it, and ground surface below it, quickly hardens the outer crust (top and bottom) of the flow. This is apparent in the silvery crust that forms on active pāhoehoe flows and the rubbly clinker that surrounds active ‘a‘ā flows. As the crust cools and thickens, it retains heat within the flow's interior. This is because the crust is a good insulator, meaning it poorly conducts heat—similar to how an insulated thermos keeps liquid inside it hot.
After the initial formation of crust, the flow continues to lose heat through radiation and conduction, facilitated by wind and rain. As rain water percolates into cracks in the flow’s surface and encounters the hot interior, it produces steam, forming the billowy white plumes often seen over active (or recently active) flows. This steaming can persist for decades, long after the lava has solidified, depending on the thickness of the flow and the temperature of its interior.
Based on a study of crustal cooling of pāhoehoe lava flows in Kalapana erupted from the East Rift Zone Kupaianaha vent in 1990, we can estimate the solidification time for the 2018 LERZ flows. Because the equation only looks at cooling of the lava flow's upper crust, the basal crust thickness is assumed to equal 70 percent of the upper crust according to this study.
The Kalapana measurements were made on thin pāhoehoe flows and most of the 2018 LERZ lava is ‘a‘ā. But, because the core of each flow type should cool at similar rates, we are basing 2018 cooling rates on the 1990 study. Also, of note, the flows studied in 1990 were much thinner with shorter cooling rates and may not account for long-term changes in wind and rain patterns.
Preliminary analyses of the 2018 LERZ eruption flow thicknesses suggest that the average flow thickness is around 10–15 m (33–50 ft). Based on the cooling rate calculation, it could take roughly 8 months to 1.5 years for flows of these thicknesses to solidify.
Solidification of flows ranging 20–30 m (65–100 ft) thick could take about 2.5–6 years. The thickest LERZ flows on land, which are approximately 55 m (180 ft) thick, may take roughly 20 years to reach a completely solid state.
Because flow thickness, wind speeds, rainfall amounts, air and ground temperatures, and other factors all affect lava cooling rates, there is a range of uncertainty on how long the interior of a flow remains liquid. For example, after the 1959 Kīlauea Iki eruption, the approximately 135 m (440 ft) deep lava lake took about 35 years to completely solidify, and the interior of the lake could still be hot enough today that the rock is incandescent. This is why, on rainy days, you can see steam rising from the Kīlauea Iki crater floor, as well as the Kīlauea caldera floor.
With flow crust being such an efficient insulator, it can take years to decades for lava within thick flows to solidify. It takes much longer for the flow to cool to ambient temperatures.
Next week's Volcano Watch will address in more detail the thicknesses of lava flows from the 2018 LERZ eruption. HVO continues to closely monitor Kīlauea for any sign of increased activity.
Visit HVO's website for past Volcano Watch articles, Kīlauea and Mauna Loa updates, volcano photos, maps, recent earthquake info, and more. Call 808-967-8862 for weekly Kīlauea updates. Email questions to askHVO@usgs.gov.
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.
KAʻŪ HOSPITAL OFFERS A ZOLL AUTOPULSE, which "gives our patients a fighting chance in Kaʻū," states the newsletter from affiliate Hilo Medical Center. The newsletter thanks the local community organization ʻO Kaʻū Kākou for raising funds to purchase the $16,000 in lifesaving equipment that provides high-quality automated Cardiac Pulmonary Resuscitation to victims of sudden cardiac arrest.
"I had first seen the AutoPulse at Molokaʻi General, a small hospital like ours where there is only one doctor and one nurse on duty at night," said Marie Aulani Hammond, Nurse Educator at Kaʻū Hospital. "Having the AutoPulse frees up our providers. It also does not get tired after two minutes. It keeps on going."
Sherrie Bazin, Director of Nursing at Kaʻū Hospital, said, "This equipment allows us to stack the cards in our patients' favor and gives them a better chance to live." She advocated to support the purchase of the AutoPulse.
INVASIVE LITTLE FIRE ANTS REACHED HAWAIʻI VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK recently, but the only location discovered is in the popular Steam Vents area and Mauna Ulu parking lot. "These are the first known populations of LFA in the park," says a statement from the park.
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| Little Fire Ants have been discovered in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park for the first time and will be treated with MEXH 14. NPS Photo |
The Steam Vents parking lot will be closed on Thursday, March 14 to treat the area from 8 a.m. to noon. In late 2018, park scientists made the unwelcome discovery of three acres infested with the ants. LFA are a major threat to native species, including other insects and birds, as well as to humans. No bites have yet been reported, according to the park statement.
Only the Steam Vents parking lot and the trail from the parking lot to Wahinekapu (Steaming Bluff) will be closed on March 14 from 8 a.m. to noon; Wahinekapu and Crater Rim Trail will remain open. The park will treat Steam Vents every six weeks and will announce closures in news releases, the park website, nps.gov/hawaiivolcanoes, and via social media. The goal is to completely eradicate the ants from the area, reports the park.
"We are optimistic that our efforts to eliminate LFA from this site will be successful, and we again remind the public to check their vehicles and belongings to ensure they do not inadvertently bring LFA into the park," said park ecologist David Benitez.
For more information on LFA, how to control them and how to prevent spreading them, visit littlefireants.com.
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE FOR A LAVA FLOW TO COOL? asks this week's Volcano Watch, written by U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists and affiliates:
How do lava flows cool and how long does it take?To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE FOR A LAVA FLOW TO COOL? asks this week's Volcano Watch, written by U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists and affiliates:
Since the end of the 2018 lower East Rift Zone eruption on Kīlauea Volcano, questions have surfaced concerning how long it will take for the new lava flows to solidify. This is a difficult question to answer, because the initial eruptive temperatures along with many different factors can influence the rate of cooling.
Eruptive lava temperatures of the 2018 LERZ eruption reached a maximum of approximately 1140 degrees Celsius (2080 degrees Fahrenheit). When the entire flow cools below about 1000° C (1800° F), it has solidified, but the interior is still very hot.
Arguably the most influential factor determining how fast lava cools is the thickness of the flow. Other factors include heat loss from both the top (to the atmosphere) and bottom of a flow (into the ground). Contributing to heat loss at the flow's surface are air temperature, rainfall, and wind.
The initial contact between a lava flow, the air above it, and ground surface below it, quickly hardens the outer crust (top and bottom) of the flow. This is apparent in the silvery crust that forms on active pāhoehoe flows and the rubbly clinker that surrounds active ‘a‘ā flows. As the crust cools and thickens, it retains heat within the flow's interior. This is because the crust is a good insulator, meaning it poorly conducts heat—similar to how an insulated thermos keeps liquid inside it hot.
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| This ‘a‘ā flow erupted from fissure 8 on Kīlauea Volcano's lower East Rift Zone on June 1, 2018. It shows how the interior of a lava flow remains incandescently hot even though surface cooling forms a crust of solid rubble. Based on studies of lava flow cooling rates, it will take more than 130 days for a flow this thick (about 4.5 m, or 15 ft) to cool to a temperature of about 200 degrees Celsius (290 degrees Fahrenheit). USGS photo by A. Lerner |
Based on a study of crustal cooling of pāhoehoe lava flows in Kalapana erupted from the East Rift Zone Kupaianaha vent in 1990, we can estimate the solidification time for the 2018 LERZ flows. Because the equation only looks at cooling of the lava flow's upper crust, the basal crust thickness is assumed to equal 70 percent of the upper crust according to this study.
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| The 1959 Kīlauea Iki lava lake took about 35 years to solidify, USGS Photo |
Preliminary analyses of the 2018 LERZ eruption flow thicknesses suggest that the average flow thickness is around 10–15 m (33–50 ft). Based on the cooling rate calculation, it could take roughly 8 months to 1.5 years for flows of these thicknesses to solidify.
Solidification of flows ranging 20–30 m (65–100 ft) thick could take about 2.5–6 years. The thickest LERZ flows on land, which are approximately 55 m (180 ft) thick, may take roughly 20 years to reach a completely solid state.
Because flow thickness, wind speeds, rainfall amounts, air and ground temperatures, and other factors all affect lava cooling rates, there is a range of uncertainty on how long the interior of a flow remains liquid. For example, after the 1959 Kīlauea Iki eruption, the approximately 135 m (440 ft) deep lava lake took about 35 years to completely solidify, and the interior of the lake could still be hot enough today that the rock is incandescent. This is why, on rainy days, you can see steam rising from the Kīlauea Iki crater floor, as well as the Kīlauea caldera floor.
With flow crust being such an efficient insulator, it can take years to decades for lava within thick flows to solidify. It takes much longer for the flow to cool to ambient temperatures.
Next week's Volcano Watch will address in more detail the thicknesses of lava flows from the 2018 LERZ eruption. HVO continues to closely monitor Kīlauea for any sign of increased activity.
Visit HVO's website for past Volcano Watch articles, Kīlauea and Mauna Loa updates, volcano photos, maps, recent earthquake info, and more. Call 808-967-8862 for weekly Kīlauea updates. Email questions to askHVO@usgs.gov.
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.
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See public Kaʻū events, meetings, entertainment.
Print edition of The Kaʻū Calendar is free to 5,500 mailboxes
throughout Kaʻū, from Miloliʻi through Volcano, and free on
stands throughout the district. Read online at kaucalendar.com
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Kaʻū Trojans Spring Sports Schedule
Baseball:
Mon., March 4, 3 p.m. , host Konawaena
Wed., March 6, 3 p.m. , @Kamehameha
Sat., March 9, 1 p.m. , host Kohala
Sat., March 16, 1 p.m. , host Keaʻau
Thu., March 21, 3 p.m. , @Waiakea
Sat., March 23, 1 p.m. , host Honokaʻa
Softball:
Tue., March 5, host Konawaena
Thu., March 7, @Kamehameha
Sat., March 9, 11 a.m. , host Kohala
Mon., March 11, host Kamehameha
Wed., March 13, 5:30 p.m. , host Pāhoa
Sat., March 16, 11 a.m. , host Keaʻau
Wed., March 20, @Waiakea
Sat., March 23, 11 a.m. , host Honokaʻa
Boys Volleyball:
Fri., March 8, 6 p.m. , @Kealakehe
Tue., March 12, 6 p.m. , @Makualani, Varsity
Fri., March 15, 6 p.m. , host Waiakea
Tue., March 19, 6 p.m. , @Kealakehe
Track:
Sat., March 2, 9 a.m. , @HPA
Sat., March 9, 2 p.m. , @Keaʻau
Sat., March 16, 2 p.m. , @Konawaena
Sat., March 23, 9 a.m. , @Waiakea
This fundraiser needs volunteers to help out: Public Parking, 2-3 people; Car Parking Upper Lot, 2-3 people; Bike Parking Lower Lot, 2-3 people; Music DJ + Raffle & Prize Announcements 2-3 people; Kitchen Serving, 2-3 people; Open House Tours, 1-2 people; and Clean Up & Closing, 3-4 people. According to Don Gall, "I want to have enough help so that each person only needs to be 'on duty' for about two hours."
Contact Dennis at 831-234-7143 or Ron at 808-217-7982 to volunteer, register, or for more info. ovcahawaii@gmail.com, ovcahi.org
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.
Exploring Tunnel Books - Bookbinding Workshop, Saturday, March 2, 9a.m. -noon , Volcano Art Center
Paint Your Own Silk Scarf with Patti Pease Johnson, Saturday, March 2, 9a.m.-12:30p.m. , Volcano Art Center
Stewardship at the Summit, Saturday, March 2, 9, and 16, Friday, March 22 and 29, 8:45a.m.-noon, Kīlauea Visitor Center. Volunteers remove invasive, non-native plants. Wear sturdy hiking shoes and long pants. Bring hat, rain gear, day pack, snacks, and water. Gloves/tools provided. Parental/guardian accompaniment or written consent required for those under 18. Free; park entrance fees apply. Paul and Jane Field, field@hawaii.edu, nps.gov/havo
SUNDAY, MARCH 3
Dispose of Hazardous Household Waste, Sunday, March 3, 8:30a.m.-3:30p.m. , Pāhoa Recycling and Transfer Station. See complete list of acceptable or unacceptable household hazardous waste at hawaiizerowaste.org/recycle/household-hazardous-waste. Contact Chris Chin-Chance at 961-8554 or recycle3@hawaiicounty.gov.
Ham Radio Potluck Picnic, Sunday, March 3 – 1st Sunday, monthly – noon-2p.m., Manukā State Park
sites.google.com/view/southhawaiiares/home. Rick Ward, 938-3058
sites.google.com/view/southhawaiiares/home. Rick Ward, 938-3058
Hawai‘i Wildlife Fund Coastal Net Patrol, Monday, March 4. Register in advance. Free; donations appreciated. kahakai.cleanups@gmail.com, 769-7629
Free Vision Screening for All Ages, Monday, March 4, 9:30-11:30a.m. , Kauahaʻao Church in Waiʻōhinu. All ages receive screening for near and far vision. Keiki are screened for color deficiencies, adults for eye diseases. Keiki receive free sunglasses, adults free reading glasses. Sponsored by Tūtū & Me and Project Vision Hawaiʻi, projectvisionhawaii.org, 808-282-2265.
Ka‘ū Homeschool Co–op Group, Monday, March 4 and 18, 1p.m., Ocean View Community Center. Parent-led homeschool activity and social group, building community in Ka‘ū. Confirm location in case of field trip. Laura Roberts, 406-249-3351
TUESDAY, MARCH 5
Free Vision Screening for All Ages, Tuesday, March 5, 9-11a.m. , Pāhala Community Center
Ka‘ū Coffee Growers Mtg., Tuesday, March 5, 6-8p.m. , Pāhala Community Center
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6
Ash Wednesday Service, Wednesday, March 6, 3p.m. , St. Jude's Episcopal Church. 939-7000, stjudeshawaii.org
Hula Voices with Kumu Hula Ka‘ea Lyons and Lily Lyons, Wednesday, March 6 – 1st Wednesday, monthly – 5:30-7p.m. , Volcano Art Center Gallery. Desiree Moana Cruz moderates the talk story session. Free. 967-7565
Open Mic Night, Wednesday, March 6, 6-10p.m. , Lava Lounge, Kīlauea Military Camp. Call 967-8365 after 4p.m. to sign up and for more details. Park entrance fees may apply. Open to KMC patrons and sponsored guests, 21+. 967-8371, kilaueamilitarycamp.com
THURSDAY, MARCH 7
Women's Support Group, Thursday, March 7 – 1st Thursday monthly – 3-4:30p.m. , PARENTS Inc., Nā‘ālehu. Women welcome to drop in. Free. Lindsey Miller, 333-3460, lindsey@hawaiiparents.org
All Ages Game Nite, Thursday, March 7, 5:30-7:30p.m., Ka‘ū District Gym. Register through March 5. 928-3102, hawaiicounty.gov/pr-recreationOcean View Neighborhood Watch Mtg., Thursday, March 7, 6-7p.m., Ocean View Community Center. 939-7033, ovcahi.org
FRIDAY, MARCH 8
Mardi Gras Fundraising Dinner, Friday, March 8, doors open at 5:30p.m., dinner served 6-8p.m., St. Jude's Episcopal Church. $8/single meal, $15/couple, $20/family. 939-7000, stjudeshawaii.org
Community Dance, Friday, March 8, 7-10p.m., Cooper Center, Volcano Village. Minors allowed with supervision only. Alcohol-free event. Variety of music. Snacks provided; additional pūpū welcome. Free. 967-7800, thecoopercenter.org
Kauahaʻao Congregational Church Fundraising Bazaar, Saturday, March 16, 9-2 pm , just above Wong Yuen Store in Waiʻōhinu. Bazaar vendor spaces on the church lawn are $10 for 10' X 10'. Vendors are responsible for bringing all supplies, including electricity. Church members will sell kalua pig and cabbage bowls, and roast chicken with gravy bowls, as well as baked goods, produce, and crafts. Submit application with fee by Sunday, March 10; call Debbie or Walter, 928-8039, for application.
Applications for a Job to Help Kids with Healthy Eating and Living in Kaʻū are open through Friday, March 15. Full-time 11.5-month commitment from
Preschool Opens Doors Applications are open for the 2019-2020 school year. The Department of Human Services encourages families to apply before Friday, March 29. This program is for families seeking aid in paying for preschool. Applications, available at patchhawaii.org, received during this period will be considered for preschool participation during July 1, 2019 and June 30, 2020. For more information, visit bit.ly/2TolEOm or call 800-746-5620.
Beginning Farmer Institute Cohort Applications open through Monday, April 15. Free training program which "prepares new producers of any age or operation type for a successful future in agriculture." Applications at nfu.org/education/beginning-farmer-institute.
Booth fees are $100 for food vendors; $60 for non-food items and crafts, including coffee and coffee samples; and $35 for pre-approved information displays. No campaign and other political displays. Fifty percent discounts for non-profit organizations and cooperatives selling food, crafts, and coffee. Vendors must also obtain county vendor permits costing $30 each and a Department of Health permit, if serving food. Call Gail Nagata 933-0918. Apply by Friday, April 26. Application at KauCoffeeFestival.com. Email to biokepamoses@gmail.com; mail to Brenda Iokepa-Moses, P.O. Box 208 , Pāhala , HI 96777
Applications for Paid Internship in Kaʻū for Kupu Hawai‘i and The Nature Conservancy are open. Year-long, full-time position in TNC's Hawai‘i Island Terrestrial Program stewards native forest preserves in Ka‘ū and South Kona. $1,600 monthly living allowance, before taxes; a $5,920 education award towards higher education; health care and childcare benefit, if eligible; and receiving an entry-level conservation career experience. Application at kupuhawaii.org/conservation. For more, call The Nature Conservancy, 443-5401, or call Kupu Hawai‘i, 808-735-1221.
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see Facebook. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. See our online calendars and our latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.
