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| National Weather Service has issued a minor coastal flood warning for the entire Ka'u Coast and beyond due to a series of high tides, with the peaks in the afternoons through Sunday. Hawai'i County Civil Devfense urges securing of surfboards, canoes and other watercraft on the coast where the water could rise and to watch for overwash at boat ramps. Remove electronics and vehicles to higher grounds. South Point photo by Bob Martin |
THE STEWARDSHIP OF HOTSPOTS IN KAʻŪ is eligible for funding from Hawai'i Tourism Authority, with deadline to apply on Wednesday, July 31 at 4:30 p.m. The Hotspots named in the Kaʻū area by HTA on its DMAP are Punalu'u, South Point - Kalae, Papakolea/Green Sands Beach, Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park and Miloli'i.
The funding and training are for the two newest Community Tourism Collaborative programs from HTA: the Community Stewardship Program and the Regenerative Experiences Program. Modeled after the traditional regenerative water system of Hawaiʻi, these programs aim to support and enhance the efforts of organizations dedicated to revitalizing and preserving Hawaiʻi's sacred spaces and creating sustainable visitor experiences.
A statement from the HTA says that "The vision for a regenerative visitor industry in Hawaiʻi depends on community stewardship organizations who are committed to revitalizing ‘āina that has been overtaxed by the impacts of tourism. The CTC - Community Stewardship program recognizes the kuleana of maintaining these wahi pana, the literal foundation upon which our community and industry is built."
Organizations selected for the program are invited to join a cohort of mission-aligned organizations for specialized workshop opportunities and professional services and consultation in selected areas specifically focused on the needs of those stewarding DMAP identified tourism hotspots throughout Hawaiʻi. In addition to the capacity building opportunities, cohort members may apply for one-time direct funding that will allow them to grow their stewardship efforts, expand their capacity, and seed their growth.
To read more and apply, see https://regenerativetourismhawaii.info/
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar. See upcoming events, print edition and archive at kaunews.com. Support this news service with advertising at kaunews.com. 7,500 copies in the mail and on stands.
MEASURING VOLCANIC GASES BLOWING IN THE WIND is th subject of the latest
Volcano Watch, the weekly article and activity update written by U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists and affiliates. This week's article is by Research Corporation of the University of Hawaiʻi gas technician Christine Sealing:
Measurement of volcanic gases is critical for both public safety and understanding volcanic activity—and everything we measure relies on the wind.
Cartoon schematic of a volcanic plume from Halemaʻumaʻu blowing over permanent gas monitoring stations (diamonds) southwest of Kīlauea summit during normal trade wind conditions. Red is a Multi-GAS station; orange are high-resolution stations; yellow are Flyspec Array stations.
HAWAI'I FARMERS UNION UNITED IS HIRING a Chief Operative Officer. The COO will
lead the Farmers Union growing network of farmers, organizations, and communities supporting Hawaii's family farmers and local food production. The COO is responsible for overseeing the HFUU operations, including financial, programming and organizational oversight. To learn more, visit the job posting. To apply for this position, submit a resume and cover letter to employment@hfuu.org.
Volcano Watch, the weekly article and activity update written by U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists and affiliates. This week's article is by Research Corporation of the University of Hawaiʻi gas technician Christine Sealing:
Measurement of volcanic gases is critical for both public safety and understanding volcanic activity—and everything we measure relies on the wind.
Cartoon schematic of a volcanic plume from Halemaʻumaʻu blowing over permanent gas monitoring stations (diamonds) southwest of Kīlauea summit during normal trade wind conditions. Red is a Multi-GAS station; orange are high-resolution stations; yellow are Flyspec Array stations. USGS image with satellite imagery from Google Earth
The USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory currently operates 19 permanent gas monitoring stations, and 7 portable instruments for eruption response. These can be divided into two categories based on what they measure: (1) gas concentrations; and (2) emission rates.
Gas concentration instruments include multi-GAS stations that measure a combination of gases (CO2, H2O, SO2, and H2S) and high-resolution stations that can measure a single gas (SO2) down to very low concentrations. These instruments draw in or 'sip' samples of volcanic plume to tell us which gases are present and the ratios of these gases to each other, which is important for understanding the volcanic system.
Emission rate instrumentation, which includes the innovative Flyspec Array, UV-camera, and the vehicle-mounted DOAS, measures the plume's absorption of ultraviolet light from the sun via remote sensing. This allows us to determine how much SO2 is coming out of the volcano, though only during daylight hours.
All these instruments require cooperation from the gases themselves: the plume must pass by or over the instrument for a measurement to be made.
The volcanic plume, however, doesn't move on its own. It relies on the wind to carry it in any given direction. The job of volcano gas scientists is to chase around and measure this shifting, transient blob of gas—this is not an easy task!
Imagine a scenario where seismometers didn't work every time it rained. Perhaps because the ground becomes too squishy and dampens the seismic signals. That's not really what happens, but let's pretend. In this scenario, we'd be able to feel an earthquake and know when it happened, but we'd have no way of measuring its magnitude just because the ground is wet. Thankfully, in the real-world, seismometers work no matter the weather condition—but gas instruments do not. They need the wind to be in right direction and the right speed to make a useful measurement.
At Kīlauea volcano, the dominant trade winds mean that near-surface winds blow from the northeast most of the year. For this reason, HVO's permanent gas monitoring stations are positioned to the southwest (downwind) of Halemaʻumaʻu, Kīlauea's summit crater.
If the wind direction is reversed relative to normal trade winds (a condition we call "Kona winds") then although we can see the plume, smell it, and even taste it, we have no easy way of measuring it because the wind is blowing the gas away from our permanent sensors.
Similarly, if the wind is too slow (below about 4 m/s, which is 9 mph or 8 knots), then the plume can loft straight up and once again miss our sensors. Alternatively, if the wind is too strong then it effectively dilutes the plume, spreading it thin and making it difficult for our sensors to measure. How strong is too strong depends on how much gas is in the plume, but during inter-eruptive periods with relatively little gas the cut-off is around 12 m/s, which is 27 mph or 23 knots.
Another complication is that volcanoes don't always erupt from the same location. In the most recent eruption at Kīlauea, fissures opened in the upper Southwest Rift Zone—downwind of nearly the entire gas monitoring network. Only one instrument, a high-resolution station called HRPKE, was located near the eruptive vents, a few hundred meters to the west/northwest of the fissures. However, the winds were northerly that day, and were blowing the thick eruptive plume to the south, away from HRPKE. It didn't record a wisp of gas until several hours into the eruption when the wind turned more easterly, finally blowing the plume to the station.
Effective gas measurements require an alignment of four things: wind direction, wind speed, sometimes daylight, and always luck. Volcano gas researchers at the USGS continue to develop new technologies to help us win this sophisticated game of chase, so that we can inform the public about this ever-shifting volcanic hazard. So, if you check the public webpage and it looks like there isn't any gas reported, it may just mean the wind is not cooperating and we're still chasing down the plume.
Volcano Activity Updates
Kīlauea is not erupting. Its USGS Volcano Alert level is ADVISORY.
Elevated earthquake activity and inflationary ground deformation rates continue in Kīlauea's summit region, indicating that magma is repressurizing the storage system. Over the past week, about 650 events (most were smaller than M2) occurred beneath Kīlauea's summit region and extending southeast into the upper East Rift Zone. Unrest may continue to wax and wane with changes to the input of magma; changes can occur quickly, as can the potential for eruption. The most recent summit sulfur dioxide emission rate measured was approximately 100 tonnes per day on July 17, 2024.
Mauna Loa is not erupting. Its USGS Volcano Alert Level is at NORMAL.
Two earthquakes were reported felt in the Hawaiian Islands during the past week: a M2.8 earthquake 6 km (3 mi) S of Volcano at 1 km (1 mi) depth on July 16 at 3:33 a.m. HST and a M3.0 earthquake 2 km (1 mi) SSE of Pāhala at 33 km (20 mi) depth on July 12 at 5:50 p.m. HST.
HVO continues to closely monitor Kīlauea and Mauna Loa.
Gas concentration instruments include multi-GAS stations that measure a combination of gases (CO2, H2O, SO2, and H2S) and high-resolution stations that can measure a single gas (SO2) down to very low concentrations. These instruments draw in or 'sip' samples of volcanic plume to tell us which gases are present and the ratios of these gases to each other, which is important for understanding the volcanic system.
Emission rate instrumentation, which includes the innovative Flyspec Array, UV-camera, and the vehicle-mounted DOAS, measures the plume's absorption of ultraviolet light from the sun via remote sensing. This allows us to determine how much SO2 is coming out of the volcano, though only during daylight hours.
All these instruments require cooperation from the gases themselves: the plume must pass by or over the instrument for a measurement to be made.
The volcanic plume, however, doesn't move on its own. It relies on the wind to carry it in any given direction. The job of volcano gas scientists is to chase around and measure this shifting, transient blob of gas—this is not an easy task!
 |
| Flyspec Array of instruments helps measure the output of volcanic plumes. USGS photo |
At Kīlauea volcano, the dominant trade winds mean that near-surface winds blow from the northeast most of the year. For this reason, HVO's permanent gas monitoring stations are positioned to the southwest (downwind) of Halemaʻumaʻu, Kīlauea's summit crater.
If the wind direction is reversed relative to normal trade winds (a condition we call "Kona winds") then although we can see the plume, smell it, and even taste it, we have no easy way of measuring it because the wind is blowing the gas away from our permanent sensors.
Similarly, if the wind is too slow (below about 4 m/s, which is 9 mph or 8 knots), then the plume can loft straight up and once again miss our sensors. Alternatively, if the wind is too strong then it effectively dilutes the plume, spreading it thin and making it difficult for our sensors to measure. How strong is too strong depends on how much gas is in the plume, but during inter-eruptive periods with relatively little gas the cut-off is around 12 m/s, which is 27 mph or 23 knots.
Another complication is that volcanoes don't always erupt from the same location. In the most recent eruption at Kīlauea, fissures opened in the upper Southwest Rift Zone—downwind of nearly the entire gas monitoring network. Only one instrument, a high-resolution station called HRPKE, was located near the eruptive vents, a few hundred meters to the west/northwest of the fissures. However, the winds were northerly that day, and were blowing the thick eruptive plume to the south, away from HRPKE. It didn't record a wisp of gas until several hours into the eruption when the wind turned more easterly, finally blowing the plume to the station.
 |
| A permanent UV camera at Kilauea. Photo by Tom Perling |
Volcano Activity Updates
Kīlauea is not erupting. Its USGS Volcano Alert level is ADVISORY.
Elevated earthquake activity and inflationary ground deformation rates continue in Kīlauea's summit region, indicating that magma is repressurizing the storage system. Over the past week, about 650 events (most were smaller than M2) occurred beneath Kīlauea's summit region and extending southeast into the upper East Rift Zone. Unrest may continue to wax and wane with changes to the input of magma; changes can occur quickly, as can the potential for eruption. The most recent summit sulfur dioxide emission rate measured was approximately 100 tonnes per day on July 17, 2024.
Mauna Loa is not erupting. Its USGS Volcano Alert Level is at NORMAL.
Two earthquakes were reported felt in the Hawaiian Islands during the past week: a M2.8 earthquake 6 km (3 mi) S of Volcano at 1 km (1 mi) depth on July 16 at 3:33 a.m. HST and a M3.0 earthquake 2 km (1 mi) SSE of Pāhala at 33 km (20 mi) depth on July 12 at 5:50 p.m. HST.
HVO continues to closely monitor Kīlauea and Mauna Loa.
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar. See upcoming events, print edition and archive at kaunews.com. Support this news service with advertising at kaunews.com. 7,500 copies in the mail and on stands.
lead the Farmers Union growing network of farmers, organizations, and communities supporting Hawaii's family farmers and local food production. The COO is responsible for overseeing the HFUU operations, including financial, programming and organizational oversight. To learn more, visit the job posting. To apply for this position, submit a resume and cover letter to employment@hfuu.org.
To read comments, add your own, and like this story, see facebook.com/kaucalendar. See upcoming events, print edition and archive at kaunews.com. Support this news service with advertising at kaunews.com. 7,500 copies in the mail and on stands.
