Sunday, August 26, 2012

Ka`u News Briefs Aug. 26, 2012

Terrain around the Mars rover Opportunity created from 817 images taken by a panoramic camera. Scientists
 involved with the mission, including Dr. Ray Arvidson, come to Ka`u to study similar landscapes. Photo from NASA
Neil Armstrong trained in Hawai`i Volcanoes
National Park.
NEIL ARMSTRONG TRAINED AT HAWAI`I VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK for his Apollo 11 mission, where he became the first human to set foot on the moon on July 20, 1969, calling it “one giant leap for mankind.” On their return to Earth, Armstrong and astronauts Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins landed in Hawaiian waters.
      Armstrong, who died yesterday at the age of 82, was one of many engineers and scientists who come to the park and Ka`u Desert to become familiar with unusual landscapes before spacecrafts journey to other planets. The local volcanic landscapes show similarities to moonscapes and terrains of other planets like Mars, where scientists discovered that most Martian lava is basalt, much like Hawaiian volcanoes.
Dr. Ray Arvidson, a Mars rover scientist, brings researchers
and students to Ka`u each year to study the landscape.





      Annually, Dr. Ray Arvidson, James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor in Earth and Planetary Sciences at Washington University St. Louis, brings researchers and students to Ka`u, making Pahala Plantation House their base station and conducting research in the Ka`u Desert and national park.
Apollo 13 astronauts Fred Haise and Jim Lovell studied
the surface of volcanoes in Hawai`i Volcanoes National
Park.  Photo from NASA
      Arvidson was a leader in the Spirit rover mission on Mars. He currently works as mission deputy scientist for Opportunity, a Mars rover studying Martian soils and traveling far beyond its expected abilities. In its eighth year on Mars, Opportunity recently discovered minerals formed from water flowing out of volcanic rocks, the best evidence yet of liquid on the Red Planet. 
      While Opportunity lost its rover partner when Spirit quit communicating with Earth, Arvidson recently told the Associated Press, “We’re going on eight years, but we’re not done yet.”
      NASA’s newer and larger rover, Curiosity, recently traveled 352 million miles to land on Mars on Aug. 6. Along with Opportunity, it is sending amazing images and data.
      See NASA’s Curiosity mission link at http://www.nasa.gov/mis-sion_pages/msl/index.html and a You Tube video on Spirit and Opportunity at http://news.wustl.edu/news/Pages/24098.aspx.

THE HUMANE SOCIETY OF THE UNITED STATES and Humane Society Wildlife Land Trust urge Hawai`i residents to report wildlife crimes, including illegal wild animal transport or abandonment. In January, HSUS set up a confidential, toll-free tip line for the Department of Land and Natural Resource’s Division of Conservation and Resource Enforcement, 1-855-DLNR-TIP, to report information on wildlife crimes. Callers may be eligible for a reward of up to $2,500 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for these crimes.
Report illegal wild animal transport or abandonment at
1-855-DLNR-TIP. 
      In June, Gov. Neil Abercrombie enacted Senate Bill 3001; Act 144, sponsored by Sen. Gil Kahele and supported by HSUS, DLNR and others, to explicitly prohibit the possession, transport or release of wild deer. Under the new state law, first time violators face a misdemeanor charge with a mandatory fine of not less than $10,000 and payment of any costs incurred in the eradication of any deer and the deer’s progeny who has been possessed, transferred, transported, or released after transport, or by imprisonment of not more than one year, or both.
      Under the federal Lacey Act, violators can face either a misdemeanor charge with up to one year in jail and a $100,0000 fine or a felony charge with a maximum fine of up to $250,000 and imprisonment of up to five years, or both, and civil penalties of up to $10,000.
      Big Island residents are asked to report deer sightings at 443-4036.

The 3.9 quake is in blue in the ocean, between
underwater volcano Lo`ihi and Punalu`u.
Map from USGS
THREE EARTHQUAKES registered around Ka`u yesterday. The largest was a 3.9, out in the ocean between Punalu`u and the underwater volcano Lo`ihi. The quake struck about 11 miles east-southeast of Na`alehu and woke up some residents in the night at 2:55 a.m. The others were barely felt by anyone, a 2.0 at the same location as the larger one, and a 2.7 five miles northwest of Pahala. No damage reported.

THE NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS to install photovoltaic systems so far this year has already surpassed the total for 2011. Public Works Department has received almost 1,100 permit applications this year, compared to 972 for all of last year, reports Tom Callis in today’s Hawai`i Tribune Herald. Callis quotes director Warren Lee saying, “We expect a big surge at the end of the year for tax credits.”
      Callis reports that it is also taking longer for permits to be approved. Along with an electrical permit, Hawai`i County now requires a building permit to install solar electric and water heating systems.
      Lee says the county is working to improve the permitting process with an online tracking system as well as online submission of application available beginning next month.

VOLUNTEERS ARE INVITED to remove sediment from an anchialine pool on the Ka`u Coast Tuesday. Sign up with Megan Lamson at 769-7629 or kahakai.cleanups@gmail.com.

Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park U.S. Mint quarter.
TUESDAY’S AFTER DARK IN THE PARK celebrates the release of the Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park quarter. The program begins at 7 p.m. in Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium. Two-dollar donations support park programs, and park entrance fees apply.

CEREMONIAL RELEASE of the Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park quarter takes place Wednesday from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the park’s Kahua Hula south of Kilauea Visitor Center on Crater Rim Drive. HFS Federal Credit Union will provide $10 rolls of the commemorative quarters for exchange. The event is free, and park entrance fees apply.

DEPARTMENT OF WATER SUPPLY meets with the public Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. at Ocean View Community Center to discuss Ocean View’s well and distribution of water. According to DWS, the meeting is in response to “increased reports of incorrect information in the community.”

Vision and other screenings come to Ka`u Saturday.
MOBILE OUTREACH HEALTH SCREENINGS are available in Ka`u this coming Saturday. WE … a Hui for Health brings its van to Ocean View farmers market from 8 a.m. to noon, then to Ka`u Resource & Distance Learning Center in Pahala from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Health screenings include retinal, lung function, glucose, blood pressure, take-home kidney function, women’s health, hepatitis and hearing. Counseling regarding learning disabilities, smoking cessation, family caregiving, organ donating and more is also available. The screenings are free and on a walk-in basis. For more, contact Annie at 808-282-2265 or annie@projectvisionhawaii.com. 
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