Thursday, November 25, 2021

Ka‘ū News Briefs, Thursday, Nov. 25, 2021

Thanksgiving field day on Trojan campus, as the football team practices in the morning for this weekend's game,
when Kaʻū hosts Pahoa on Saturday at 11 a.m. Photo by Julia Neal
VIBRANT HAWAIʻI IS OFFERING VIRTUAL STREAMS in December to tackle issues of health and wellbeing, affordable housing and education. Through streams of public workshops and forums, the organization is sponsoring events with a mission from the ʻŌlelo Noʻeau: Hoʻomoe wai kāhi ke kāoʻo: "Let's all travel together like water flowing in one direction."
    The Health and Wellbeing Stream is on Wednesday, Dec. 1, from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. The Hawai'i Island Housing Coalition Stream is on Thursday, Dec. 16 from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. The Education Stream is on Wednesday. Dec. 29 from 10:30 a.m. to noon. 
Jane Bontuyan
    Register at: https://www.vibranthawaii.org/get-involved?utm_campaign=7b2d1dcf-2792-4659-846b-27a595fcf502&utm_source=so&utm_medium=mail&cid=33dbbf7c-f025-49ad-9e10-5d0a217ff05b.
    Among those organizing these events is Jane Bontuyan, Vibrant Hawai'i's Administrative Assistant. Born in the Philippines and raised in New York, she she has called Hawaiʻi home for the past 13 years. According to Vibrant Hawai'i, Bontuyan "is passionate about environmental justice and brings to Vibrant Hawaiʻi her experience in non-profit administration. Jane is excited to invest in community, sustainability and collaboration."
    Cole Fuertes is a Vibrant Hawai'i Community Engagement Ambassador.
Cole Fuertes
  Born and raised in North Kohala, he recently earned a bachelor's degree in Marketing from Menlo College School of Business. According to Vibrant Hawai'i, Fuertes "has a strong appreciation for social connection and health initiatives. With years of experience in the non-profit sector, Cole dedicates his time to community service initiatives."
Ku'uhiapo Jeon
    Ku'uhiapo Jeon is a Vibrant Hawai'i Community Engagement Ambassador. He is a graduate of Kamehameha Schools Hawaiʻi Campus and a fourth-year undergraduate at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo double majoring in Psychology & Communication. He is an active leader on campus, serving as Vice Chairperson of the Board of Media Broadcasting the Chancellor's Advisory Committee for Excellence, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. According to Vibrant Hawai'i, "Kuʻuhiapo enjoys theatre, food, and spending time with those he loves."

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see www.facebook.com/kaucalendar/. See latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.
 
The 1924 explosive eruption of Kīlauea, unrepeated until 2018. Photo from National Park Service

THE REFILLING OF HALEMA'UMA'U CRATER is the title of this week's Volcano Watch, the weekly column written by USGS scientists and affiliates, this one written by Brett Carr, geologist and Mendenhall postdoctoral researcher at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory:
    Halemaʻumaʻu crater has undergone repeated changes during the past two centuries. Prior to 1924, the size and shape of the Halemaʻumaʻu lava lake changed frequently and lava commonly spilled out across the floor of Kīlauea caldera. Kīlauea erupted for the first time since 2018 on December 20, 2020. Lava poured from vents on the walls of Halemaʻumaʻu crater into the water lake, which boiled away in a matter of hours. The eruption formed a new lava lake and lasted for five months. The lava lake filled in 226 m (740 ft) of Halemaʻumaʻu crater with 41 million cubic meters of lava (54 million cubic yards, or enough to fill 16,000 Olympic-size swimming pools).  
    The most significant recent change at Kīlauea’s summit occurred in 2018 when the floor of Halemaʻumaʻu crater collapsed 500 meters (1640 ft) and the volume of the caldera increased by almost a cubic kilometer (0.2 cubic miles). After the 1924 collapse of Halemaʻumaʻu, the outline of the crater remained amazingly constant until 2018. Ephemeral lava lakes came and went, especially during the 1950s and 1960s, and culminated with the 2008–2018 lava lake.
    The 2018 eruption and summit collapse of Kīlauea ended a period of continuous flank and summit activity that had persisted for decades. A period of quiet uncertainty followed the 2018 events. This ended with the return of eruptive activity at Kīlauea’s summit in December 2020. The main characteristic of the new activity is clear, these eruptions are refilling Halemaʻumaʻu crater.
The ongoing eruption at Kīlauea summit continues to fill Halemaʻumaʻu crater with lava. A gas plume rises from the active
vent on the west (left) side of the crater as lava flows from the vent into the rising lava lake (black surface). An overflow
 onto the lowest visible down-dropped block on the east (right) of the lava lake occurred on November 15. Above the
 block with the overflow, the edge of the largest down-dropped block stretches from bottom- to center-right.
 USGS photo by N. Deligne on Nov. 16.

    Kīlauea erupted again on September 29, 2021. Vents opened in the center of the older lava lake and on the walls of Halamaʻumaʻu. The lava lake began to rise and continue to fill the crater. As of this week, lava is still erupting from a single vent in Halemaʻumaʻu and has added a total of 30 million cubic meters (39 million cubic yards) to the volume of the lava lake.
    Lava has now refilled Halamaʻumaʻu more than half the distance it collapsed in 2018. The lava lake is 282 m (925 ft) deep. But, Halemaʻumaʻu is in no danger of filling and overflowing anytime soon. The 71 million cubic meters (93 million cubic yards) of lava that has erupted in the past year account for less than 10 percent of the 1 cubic kilometer volume that collapsed in 2018.
    The rising lava lake is slowly covering the irregular terrain left after the caldera floor collapsed in 2018. When the floor collapsed, many areas remained intact as they fell, forming a series of relatively flat surfaces at different elevations within Halemaʻumaʻu. HVO scientists call these areas “down-dropped blocks.”
    The lowest of these blocks was covered by lava on the first day of the eruption in December 2020. Another down-dropped block on the south side of the crater contains a segment of the old Crater Rim Drive that can be seen from multiple Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park viewing areas.
A topographic profile figure of eruptive changes at Halema'uma'u from 2019 to 2021
This plot shows the elevation of Halemaʻumaʻu crater along a line running from west (left) to east (right). The pre-2018 collapse line (blue) shows the relatively shallow depth of Halemaʻumaʻu during the lava lake period of 2008–2018. The post-collapse (2019) elevation line is black, showing that 500 m (1640 ft) of collapse occurred during the 2018 eruption. The eruption which began in December 2020 created a lava lake that reached a depth of 226 m (740 ft) by May 2021 (green line). The current eruption has caused the lake surface to rise another 60 m (200 ft) and overflow a down-dropped block (red line). USGS figure.

    Lava reached the rim of the next lowest down-dropped block to the north and east of the lava lake earlier this month. Last week, lava overflowed onto this block, covering an area about the size of 2 football fields (about a hectare or 2.3 acres). As the lake surface continues to rise, lava will further spread over this block.
    Greater volumes of lava are needed for each increase of 1 meter of lake level rise because the width of the crater increases with elevation. At this point, more than 670,000 cubic meters of lava (875,000 cubic yards) needs to erupt to raise the surface 1 m (3 ft)—at the current eruption rate, this takes about 2 days.        Lava still has another 100 m (330 ft) to go before it reaches the elevation of the largest down-dropped block (and another 150 m (500 ft) above that to reach the caldera floor). At that elevation, 1.4 million cubic meters of lava (1.8 million cubic yards) will need to erupt to raise the lava surface 1 m (3 ft), twice the current amount.
    An important question for HVO scientists is whether this period of refilling is a prelude to an era dominated by summit eruptions, similar to pre-1924 activity, or whether it is the prelude to increased rift zone activity, like what followed the summit lava lakes of the 1950s and 1960s. Either way, change is the one constant at Kīlauea.
    Volcano Activity Updates: Kīlauea volcano is erupting. Its USGS Volcano Alert level is at WATCH (https://www.usgs.gov/natural-hazards/volcano-hazards/about-alert-levels). Kīlauea updates are issued daily.    

    Lava continues to erupt from a single vent in the western wall of Halemaʻumaʻu crater. All lava activity is confined within Halemaʻumaʻu crater in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Sulfur dioxide emission rates remain elevated and were measured at approximately 6400 tonnes per day on Nov. 23, 2021. Seismicity is elevated but stable, with few earthquakes and ongoing volcanic tremor. Summit tiltmeter data has remained relatively flat over the past week, with slight deflation over the past few days. For more 
information on the current eruption of Kīlauea, see https://www.usgs.gov/volcanoes/kilauea/recent-eruption?qt-science_support_page_related_con=3#qt-science_support_page_related_con

GPS campaign survey stations high on the flanks of Mauna Loa offer expansiveviews of neighboring volcanoes. From this
station located west of Mauna Loa summit, Hualālai volcano is visible. Most Mauna Loa GPS campaign survey sites have
 been occupied every year since 1996, whereas less active volcanoes Hualālai and Haleakalā are surveyed every 3–5 years.
USGS photo by S. Conway

    Mauna Loa is not erupting and remains at Volcano Alert Level ADVISORY. This alert level does not mean that an eruption is imminent or that progression to an eruption from the current level of unrest is 
certain. Mauna Loa Updates are issued weekly at https://www.usgs.gov/volcanoes/mauna-loa/volcano-updates
    This past week, about 83 small-magnitude earthquakes were recorded below the summit and upper elevation flanks of Mauna Loa—the majority of these occurred at shallow depths less than 10 kilometers (6 miles). Global Positioning System (GPS) measurements show no major deformation over the past week. Gas concentrations and fumarole temperatures at both the summit and at Sulphur Cone on the Southwest Rift Zone remain stable. Webcams show no changes to the landscape. For more information on 
current monitoring of Mauna Loa, see: https://www.usgs.gov/volcanoes/mauna-loa/monitoring.
    There were six events with three or more felt reports in the Hawaiian Islands during the past week: a M3.1 earthquake 8 km (4 mi) ENE of Kalaoa at 16 km (10 mi) depth on Nov. 24 at 7:45 a.m. HST, a M3.2 earthquake 3 km (2 mi) S of Pāhala at 35 km (22 mi) depth on Nov. 22 at 11:18 p.m. HST, a M3.1 earthquake 4 km (2 mi) S of Pāhala at 36 km (22 mi) depth on Nov. 22 at 10:31 a.m. HST, a M3.5 earthquake 6 km (3 mi) ENE of Pāhala at 32 km (20 mi) depth on Nov. 21 at 8:00 a.m. HST, a M3.3 earthquake 6 km (3 mi) E of Pāhala at 32 km (20 mi) depth on Nov. 20 at 11:03 p.m. HST, and a M3.2 
earthquake 6 km (3 mi) SSW of Pāhala at 34 km (21 mi) depth on Nov. 17 at 5:33 p.m. HST.
    HVO continues to closely monitor Kīlauea’s ongoing eruption and Mauna Loa for any signs of increased activity.

To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see www.facebook.com/kaucalendar/. See latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

VOLCANO VILLAGE ARTISTS HUI'S annual studio and tour and sale begins the day after Thanksgiving. Every November on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday following Thanksgiving Day, Hui members open their studio and/or showroom doors for the annual Volcano Village Artists Studio Tour and Sale. Visitors, art collectors and holiday shoppers are invited to meet and talk with the artists, view their latest works, and purchase unique hand-crafted items at reasonable prices. Maps to the studios and exhibit locations are available at businesses and galleries in Volcano Village and on the Artist Hui's website at https://volcanovillageartistshui.com/.
   Also see the list of Hui members displaying and selling virtually.
Volcano Village Artist Studio Tour is 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday in Volcano Village.





















To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see www.facebook.com/kaucalendar/. See latest print edition at kaucalendar.com.

































KAʻŪ COFFEE MILL & VISITOR CENTER. Buy online at kaucoffeemill.com and in person at 96-2694 Wood Valley Road, daily, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

PUNALUʻU BAKESHOP online at bakeshophawaii.com and in-person 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., seven days a week in x.

ALIʻI HAWAIʻI HULA HANDS COFFEE. Order by calling 928-0608 or emailing alihhhcoffee@yahoo.com.

AIKANE PLANTATION COFFEE COMPANY. Order online at aikaneplantation.com. Call 808-927-2252

MIRANDA'S FARMS KAʻŪ COFFEE. Order online at mirandafarms.com or, in person at 73-7136 Mamalahoa Hwy. See latest print edition at kaucalendar.com..

KUAHIWI RANCH STORE, in person. Shop weekdays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday, 11 am to 3 p.m. at 95-5520 Hwy 11. Locally processed grass-fed beef, live meat chickens, and feed for cattle, goats, sheep, chickens, horses, dogs, and pigs. Call 929-7333 of 938-1625, email kaohi@kuahiwiranch.com.

DEPRESSED, ANXIOUS, NEED SOMEONE TO TALK TO? Call Department of Health's expanded Hawai‘i C.A.R.E.S. program at 1-800-753-6879 – the same number previously used by Crisis Line of Hawai‘i. Individuals in crisis can also text ALOHA to 741741, available 24/7.

LEARN SELF-CARE THROUGH Big Island Substance Abuse Council's Practice Self-Care Series. For additional series that feature refreshing wellness tips, follow the Behavioral Health & Homelessness Statewide Unified Response Group at facebook.com/bhhsurg

WOMEN'S COLLECTIVE OFFERS HEALTH PROGRAMS. Piko focuses on reproductive health; increasing access, respect, cultural competence, education, and choice. Pilina aims to grow membership and establish a culture of collaborative decision-making. Follow @kau_womens_health_collective. Contact rootsmedieshawaii@gmail.com. Call 808-450-0498.

YOGA WITH EMILY Catey Weiss, Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. at Volcano Art Center Niʻaulani Campus in Volcano Village. Advanced registration required; $5 per class. volcanoartcenter.org/events, 967-8222.

CHOOSE ALOHA FOR HOME is available to families, to provide a healthy way to grow together using neuroscience and positive psychology. Program uses a series of self-guided videos, activities, and "dinner table discussion topics." Sign up at chooselovemovement.org/choose-love-home.

EDUCATION

Register for Boys & Girls Club Mobile Outreach and Tutoring Programs at rb.gy/o1o2hy. For keiki grades 1-6. Contact Boys & Girls Club of the Big Island Administrative Office, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., at (808) 961-5536 or email mobiletutoring@bgcbi.org or info@bgcbi.org.

ʻOhana Help Desk offers online How-To Guides for Chromebooks and iPads at rb.gy/8er9wm. ʻOhana Help Desk also available by phone, weekdays, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., Sundays from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Invite Park Rangers to Virtually Visit Classes, through connecting with teachers and home-schoolers with distance learning programs and virtual huakaʻi (field trips). Contact havo_education@nps.gov.

Public Libraries are open for WiFi, pick-up, and other services. Nāʻālehu open Monday and Wednesday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Friday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Pāhala open Tuesday, noon to 7 p.m., Thursday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., limited entry into library with Wiki Visits. Schedule a Library Take Out time at picktime.com/hspls. Open for library card account help and reference assistance from the front door. WiFi available to anyone with a library card, from each library parking lot. See librarieshawaii.org.

Free Book Exchanges, at laundromats in Ocean View and Nāʻālehu, provided by Friends of the Kaʻū Libraries. Open to all. Keep the books, pass them on to other readers, or return them. Selection of books replenished weekly at both sites.

Read Report on Public Input about Disaster Recovery from damage during the 2018 Kīlauea eruption.View the Civic Engagement and Comment Analysis Report at rb.gy/awu65k.

Learn About Hawaiʻi's History & Culture through Papakilo Database, papakilodatabase.com.

Virtual Workshops on Hawaiʻi's Legislative Processes through Public Access Room. Sign up by contacting (808) 587-0478 or par@capitol.hawaii.gov. Ask questions and discuss all things legislative in a non-partisan environment. Attend Coffee Hour with PAR: Fridays at 3 p.m. on Zoom, meeting ID 990 4865 9652 or click zoom.us/j/99048659652. PAR staff will be available to answer questions and to discuss the legislative process. Anyone wanting to listen in without taking part in discussions is welcome. Learn more at lrb.hawaii.gov/public-access-room.

Online Directory at shopbigisland.com, co-sponsored by County of Hawai‘i, has a signup sheet for local businesses to fill in the blanks. The only requirement is a physical address on this island.

COMMUNITY
Food Assistance: Apply for The Volcano School of Arts & Sciences COVID-19 Family Relief Funds. Funded by Volcano Community Association, and members of the VSAS Friends and Governing Boards, who have donated, the fund supplies KTA or Dimple Cheek Gift Cards, or gift cards to other locally owned business, to VSAS families in need. Contact Kim Miller at 985-8537, kmiller@volcanoschool.net. Contributions to the fund can be sent in by check to: VSAS, PO Box 845, Volcano, HI 96785 – write Relief Fund in the memo. See volcanoschool.net

ENROLL CHILDREN, from first through eighth grade, in Kula ʻAmakihi, a program from Volcano School of the Arts & Sciences. It started Aug. 3. Call 808-985- 9800 or visit www.volcanoschool.net.

WALK THROUGH A GUIDED NATURE TRAIL & Sculpture Garden, Mondays, 9:30 a.m. at Volcano Art Center Niʻaulani Campus in Volcano Village. No reservations for five or fewer – limited to ten people. Free; donations appreciated. Email programs@volcanoartcenter.org. Garden is open to walk through at one's own pace, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays. www.volcanoartcenter.org. Call 967-8222.

KAʻŪ ART GALLERY is open Wednesdays and Saturdays from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. in Nāʻālehu. It features and sells works by local artists and offers other gift items. "We are always looking to collaborate with local artists in our community," said assistant Alexandra Kaupu. Artists with an interest in being featured at Kaʻū Art Gallery and Gift Shop, contact gallery owner and director Corrine Kaupu at kauartgallery@hawaiiantel.biz.

GOLF & MEMBERSHIPS for Discovery Harbour Golf Course and its Clubhouse: The Club offers Social Memberships, with future use of the clubhouse and current use of the pickleball courts as well as walking and running on specified areas of the golf course before 8 a.m. and after 3 p.m. to enjoy the panoramiocean views. Golf memberships range from unlimited play for the avid golfer to casual play options. Membership is required to play and practice golf on the course. All golf memberships include Social Membership amenities. Membership fees are designed to help underwrite programs and improvements to the facilities.Call 808-731-5122 or stop by the Clubhouse during business hours, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily at 94-1581 Kaulua Circle. Email clubatdiscoveryharbour@gmail.com. See The Club at Discovery Harbour Facebook page.

ALOHA FRIDAY MARKETPLACE, hosted by Main Street, is from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., grounds of The Old Shirakawa Estate in Waiʻohinu. It features: Made in Hawai'i Products, Organic Produce, Creative Crafts, ARt, Flower and Plants, Food, Ka`u Coffee, Gluen Free Low Carb Goodies, Wellness Services and Products, Clothing, Hand Crafted Treats, Music and more. Vendor and customer inquiries: AlohaFridayMarket@gmail.com.

VOLCANO FARMERS MARKET, Cooper Center, Volcano Village on Sundays. 6 a.m. to 10 a.m., with much local produce, baked goods, food to go, island beef and Hawai‘i Coffee. Cooper Center's EBT Machine, used at the Farmer's Market, is out of service until further notice. EBT is used for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly Food Stamps. Call 808-967-7800.

OCEAN VIEW COMMUNITY MARKET, open Saturdays and Thursdays, 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., on the corner of Kona Drive and Highway 11, where Thai Grindz is located. Managed by Mark Council. Masks mandatory. 100-person limit, social distancing required. Gate unlocked for vendors at 5:30 a.m., $15 dollars, no reservations needed. Parking in upper lot only. Vendors must provide own sanitizer. Food vendor permits required. Carpooling encouraged.

O KAʻŪ KĀKOU MARKET, in Nāʻālehu, open Wednesday, and Saturday, 8 a.m. to noon. Limit of 50 customers per hour, 20 vendor booths, with 20 feet of space between vendors. Masks and hand sanitizing required, social distancing enforced. Contact Sue Barnett, OKK Market Manager, at 808-345-9374 (voice or text) or kaufarmer@aol.com for more and to apply to vend. See facebook.com/OKauKakouMarket.

OCEAN VIEW SWAP MEET is open at Ocean View makai shopping center, near Mālama Market. Hours for patrons are 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Vendor set-up time is 5 a.m. Masks required.

BUY LOCAL GIFTS ONLINE, IN-PERSON

VOLCANO ART CENTER ONLINE, in person. Shop at Niʻaulani Campus in Volcano Village, Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Gallery in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, open Wednesday through Sunday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Virtual Shopping Appointments offered via Skype or FaceTime. Book at volcanoartcenter.org/shop for $5. Shop online gallery 24/7. Orders shipped or free local pickup available. See the VAC Virtual Classroom, which features over 90 videos. See volcanoartcenter.org/events, call 967-8222.