Kaʻū News Briefs Thursday, Nov. 2, 2023

Back Stage with Hālau Hula O Leionālani
Hālau Hula O Leionālani and Kumu Debbie Ryder hosted Bali Hai dancers from Mexico at Aunty Sally's Lu‘au Hale in Hilo to perform for kupuna on Thursday. Dancers from Hawai‘i, Mexico, Japan and the U.S. mainland will perform this Saturday in Nāʻālehu at Ke Ola Pu‘uhonua Cultural Grounds, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Photos by Brenda Iokepa Moses

THE HIDDEN DANCE OF PROCESSING GPS DATA is the subject of this week's Volcano watch by scientists and affiliates of USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. For over 30 years, high-precision GPS (Global Positioning System) measurements have been a key tool used by the USGS Hawaiian  Ladies from Mexico City danced for kupuna at Aunty Sally's in Hilo on Thursday. Volcano Observatory (HVO). Scientists have come to depend on daily GPS positions to monitor changes in the shape of volcanoes and understand magma storage and movement underground.       GPS has also become an integral part of our daily lives, guiding us while driving and helping us find the nearest gas station or beach parking with remarkable precision: typically, 10–20 feet (3–6 meters), a minuscule distance on a global scale. However, scientists using GPS for volcano monitoring need to be able to measure changes that are less than a half of an inch (about a centimeter) to detect signs of magma moving underground—much more precise than a typical handheld GPS device or phone can offer.   Hula dancers from Mexico are guests of Hālau Hula O Leionālani this week. Photos by Brenda Iokepa Moses   So how do we get these very precise GPS measurements? Although the graphs of processed GPS data on HVO's public website look like simple strings of "polka dots," there is much more to the story. It is a complex process requiring high-precision equipment, advanced software, and powerful computing capabilities.     First, scientists and technicians install a specialized GPS antenna that is permanently fixed to the ground so that it measures only the motion of that specific spot. This GPS antenna is then connected to a high-precision, low-noise GPS "receiver," which carefully tracks the signals (electromagnetic waves) that it receives from GPS satellites in space.    Specialized software uses the signals recorded by the receiver to determine a precise GPS position. It does this by calculating the distances between the GPS antenna and the orbiting satellites. Multiple simultaneous measurements are needed to calculate a site's precise position in three dimensions. For each dot on a daily GPS graph, a full 24 hours of data is used.     There is even more complexity in generating the most precise antenna locations. For example, scientists need to correct some of the many factors that add uncertainty or noise to the primary GPS signal which further complicates the accuracy of GPS. This is where advanced software comes in. These hula dancers from Mexico City travel their country and internationally and come to Kaʻū for spiritual refurbishment.     Since the early 1990s, HVO scientists have been using GPS processing software from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory to get high-quality, precise GPS positions. The software first calculates travel times for signals from each GPS satellite to the antenna. It then uses details about the satellite clocks, orbit positions, and special geometry (called triangulation) to calculate a precise position of the GPS antenna. The combination of several sophisticated refinement techniques helps scientists calculate very precise positions with errors that are less than half of an inch (centimeter scale).    This spring, HVO upgraded its GPS data processing software to the latest program suite. It is designed to be more precise, accurate, user-friendly, and flexible. HVO continues to be at the forefront of GPS data collection and processing to monitor the active volcanoes in Hawaii and American Samoa and to best understand their risks, while advancing scientific knowledge and hopefully reducing the negative impacts of volcanic eruptions. A prayer to get ready for a hula and cultural exchange.     HVO has over 70 permanent and continuously operating GPS stations on the Island of Hawai'i that gather data every day. Plus, HVO scientists collect survey measurements at another 50 to 70 benchmarks for a couple days a year. That's a lot of raw data needing GPS post-processing to achieve the high precision necessary for monitoring volcanoes!     At the end of October, HVO scientists just completed the annual Kīlauea GPS campaign survey, visiting approximately 20 sites across the volcano. HVO also conducts an annual GPS survey at Mauna Loa volcano and less frequent surveys at Hualālai and Haleakalā, every 5–10 years, as part of the volcano monitoring program. The next time you are checking out one of HVO's GPS graphs, now you'll know a bit more about how much equipment, software, and analysis goes into each little dot. Mexican dancers will soon host dancers who will travel to their country from Kaʻū.     Volcano Activity Updates: Kīlauea is not erupting. Its USGS Volcano Alert level is ADVISORY. The area just south of Kīlauea's summit continues to show signs of episodic unrest. Overall, inflation at the summit of Kīlauea remains high and has surpassed the level seen just before the most recent eruption on September 10th. Seismicity in the region south of Kīlauea caldera Men and women hula dancers from Mexico's Bali Hai halau, under the direction of Clara Snell. summit continues, though at decreased rates from the peak in activity on October 6. The most recent sulfur dioxide (SO2) emission rate, of approximately 100 tonnes per day, was measured on October 19.     Mauna Loa is not erupting. Its USGS Volcano Alert Level is at NORMAL.     Webcams show no signs of activity on Mauna Loa. Seismicity remains low. Summit ground deformation rates indicate slow inflation as magma replenishes the reservoir system following the recent eruption. SO2 emission rates are at background levels.     Two earthquakes were reported felt in the Hawaiian Islands during the past week: a M3.0 earthquake 9 km (5 mi) WSW of Kalaoa at 29 km (18 mi) depth on Nov. 1 at 2:15 p.m. HST and a M3.7 earthquake 13 km (8 mi) ESE of Pāhala at 28 km (17 mi) depth on Oct. 27 at 5:07 a.m. HST.     HVO continues to closely monitor Kīlauea and Mauna Loa.

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HAWAI‘I EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY released the 2023 update to the State Hazard Mitigation Plan this week. It is a document that provides a framework for future efforts to reduce the risk

of hazards across Hawai‘i.
   The statement from the agency says, "The plan will be used to guide work in the years ahead to reduce or eliminate the harm caused to Hawai‘i and its communities by wildfires, flooding, hurricanes, and other hazards. The state fully updates the plan every five years, and it must be approved by the Governor and the Federal Emergency Management Agency; additional amendments may be made annually to reflect plan changes by HI-EMA, the counties and other partners.
    HI-EMA began collecting public comments on the new plan in December 2022, including a series of public meetings across the state and virtual meetings via teleconference. Hawai‘i Gov. Josh Green, M.D., formally adopted the plan on September 27, 2023. FEMA requires that states must have an approved hazard mitigation plan to qualify for numerous federal assistance and mitigation grants.

    “This plan is a cornerstone of the work that emergency managers do to reduce the risk and harm from known hazards,” said James Barros, HI-EMA administrator. “The state works with the counties and the counties work with their communities to turn this plan into projects that protect life and property.”
    The 2023 State Hazard Mitigation Plan identifies the major natural hazards that affect our state, assesses the risk that each hazard poses, analyzes the vulnerability of our people, property and infrastructure to the specific hazard, and recommends actions that can be taken to reduce the risk and vulnerability to the hazard.
    The updated plan can be found on the HI-EMA website at https://dod.hawaii.gov/hiema/final-2023-hazard-mitigation-plan/.

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A KONA JUDGE, ON THURSDAY, RELEASED AN OCEAN VIEW MAN ACCUSED OF ATTEMPTED MURDER AND ROBBERY, who was being held in lieu of $350,000 bail. County Prosecuting Attorney Kelden Waltjen issued a statement noting that the defendant is Ocean View man, 44-year-old Dorson Buddy Behrendt. He was arrested and charged in relation to a robbery and firearm shooting incident that occurred on Oct. 15 in the Hawaiian Ocean View subdivision.
    During his initial appearance on Thursday morning in Kona District Court, Behrendt was granted release on his own recognizance by District Court Judge Kimberly Taniyama and ordered to appear for a preliminary hearing on Nov. 29. He is charged with:
    Attempted murder in the Second Degree - shooting another person with a firearm, which carries a penalty of life imprisonment with the possibility of parole; and

Dorson Buddy Behrendt has been charged

with Attempted Murder and Attempted

Robbery. Photo from Prosecuting Attorney

 

   Attempted Robbery in the First Degree and Carrying or Use of a Firearm in the Commission of a Separate Felony, are both class A felony offenses, which carry a penalty of a 20-year prison term.
    Waltjen stated, "The charges are merely allegations and the Defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty."
    The case was initiated by Kaʻū Patrol. The felony investigation was led by Detective Donovan Kohara, Area II Criminal Investigation Section, Hawai‘i Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Chase Murray.
     "The Office of the Prosecuting Attorney remains dedicated to the pursuit of justice with integrity and commitment," said Waltjen.
    According to the report from Hawai‘i Police Department, at 8:50 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 15, Ka‘ū patrol officers were dispatched to the area of Aloha Boulevard and Paradise Parkway in the Hawai‘i Ocean View Estates subdivision for a report of a male in need of medical assistance after possibly being assaulted.     

    Arriving on the scene, officers found the victim, believed to be a 53-year-old Ocean View man, with severe facial injuries lying on the ground near a gold Toyota van. Due to the severity of his injuries, police were unable to ask the victim how he had been injured. 

    The victim was transported to the Kona Community Hospital with life-threatening injuries where it was determined that he had sustained a gunshot wound to his facial area. He was subsequently transferred to the Queens Medical Center on O'ahu where he remains hospitalized in stable condition. During the course of the investigation, police identified Behrendt as the suspect and possible responsible person who shot the victim.
    After conferring with the County Prosecutor’s Office, Area II CIS detectives charged Behrendt with: Second-degree attempted murder; First-degree robbery; and Carrying/Use of a firearm in the commission of a separate felony.
    Police ask anyone who may have information regarding this incident to contact Detective Donovan Kohara of the Area II Criminal Investigation Section at (808) 960-3118, via email at Donovan.kohara@hawaiicounty.gov, or the police department’s non-emergency line at (808) 935-3311. Anyone having information to assist local law enforcement can also call Crime Stoppers at (808) 961-8300.

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TROJAN LADIES VOLLEYBALL TEAM WILL TRAVEL TO HONOLULU for the state finals. Coach Kamalani Fujikawa reports that "Kaʻū High will join Big Island Interscholastic Federation title holder Hawai‘i Preparatory Academy and Konawaena to represent the BIIF DII on O‘ahu from November 7- 10. Schedules haven't been finalized as O‘ahu teams are still competing. We will be playing our first game at either 5 p.m. or 7 p.m. at Kalani or Kaimuki High school."

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