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| Kaʻū Coffee fields, newly pruned, in the rains from Hurricane Lane in 2018. A new report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change states storms will get worse if carbon dioxide emissions aren't lessened drastically "very soon." Photo by Julia Neal |
From the report, he mentioned, "The warming climate is already killing coral reefs, supercharging monster storms, and fueling deadly marine heat waves. Extreme floods that have historically struck some coastal cities and small island nations once every 100 years will become an annual occurrence by 2050," and "Global sea levels could rise by more than three feet by the end of this century."
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| Wood Valley flooding during Hurricane Lane. Photo by Julia Neal |
Sen. Mazie Hirono weighed in, saying that Marine Heat Wave is "a phrase that will become more common in our daily lives (and is) what is likely about to cause one of the worst coral bleaching events in Hawaiʻi. International scientists are sounding the alarm. It's time to listen and take action. Now."
"Ocean warming reduces mixing between water layers and, as a consequence, the supply of oxygen and nutrients for marine life. Marine heatwaves have doubled in frequency since 1982 and are increasing in intensity. They are projected to further increase in frequency, duration, extent, and intensity. Their frequency will be 20 times higher at 2°C warming, compared to pre-industrial levels. They would occur 50 times more often if emissions continue to increase strongly.
According to the report, warming and changes in ocean chemistry "are already disrupting species throughout the ocean food web, with impacts on marine ecosystems and people that depend on them. To date, the ocean has taken up more than 90 percent of the excess heat in the climate system. By 2100, the ocean will take up two to four times more heat than between 1970 and the present if global warming is limited to 2 degrees Celsius, and up to five to seven times more at higher emissions.
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| Nāʻālehu Public Library closed last year due to Hurricane Lane. Photo by Geneveve Fyvie |
"The ocean has taken up between 20 to 30 percent of human-induced carbon dioxide emissions since the 1980s, causing ocean acidification. Continued carbon uptake by the ocean by 2100 will exacerbate ocean acidification." The report states that ocean warming and acidification, loss of oxygen, and changes in nutrient supplies "are already affecting the distribution and abundance of marine life in coastal areas, in the open ocean, and at the sea floor. Shifts in the distribution of fish populations have reduced the global catch potential. In the future, some regions, notably tropical oceans, will see further decreases, but there will be increases in others, such as the Arctic."
See more in upcoming Kaʻū News Briefs. Read the full report at ipcc.ch/srocc/home/.
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| Less opaque areas in the pond at Kīlauea's summit are where scientists are seeing water influx. HVO photo |
With a fairly steady temperature of about 70 degrees Celsius (158 degrees Fahrenheit), the water is estimated by U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcanoes Observatory scientists to be about 10 m (33 ft) deep. Water table measurements at the Keller Well – a 1,262 m (4,140 ft) deep borehole at
Since Sept. 20,
HVO scientists have documented what appears to be an influx of water to the
pond, with a less cloudy green showing where water is coming in. Circulation of
the water can be observed in recent video and time lapse photo compilations.
There are at least three places where water appears to coming into the pond.
Learn more and
see updates at volcanoes.usgs.gov/volcanoes/kilauea/multimedia_chronology.html. See time lapse video and a gif of the expansion.
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HOW DEEP IS THE DIKE UNDER HIGHWAY 130? This week's Volcano Watch, written by U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologist Carolyn Parcheta, seeks to answer that question:
Even though
Kīlauea Volcano's lower East Rift Zone eruption has been over for about a year,
steam continues to appear in new places or reappear in old places, and
vegetation continues to die because of lingering heat and steam in areas of the
2018 fissures.
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On
dike – tabular body of magma – that intruded
markers are on slightly
uplifted areas of the highway, which are about 100 m (330 ft) apart. Half way
between the
uplifted areas, the road is sagging, a result of the magma
intrusion beneath the highway. USGS photo by C. Parcheta
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HVO's July 18, 2019 , Volcano Watch
article, volcanoes.usgs.gov/observatories/hvo/hvo_volcano_watch.html?vwid=1421,
addressed the lingering heat and gas aspect of the story. This week we examine
how deep the dike – the intrusive body of magma that fed the 2018 LERZ eruption
– might be.
On May 5 to 7, 2018 , when fissures 7
through 12 were opening farther to the west – up rift – of Leilani Estates, the
pavement on Highway 130 cracked and began to sag. As it did, the area was
immediately engulfed in steam and sulfur dioxide gas, so much so that one could
not see across the road.
A dike is an
elongate tabular body – envision a knife blade – that runs parallel to the rift
zone. It is fed by magma from deeper within the rift zone core.
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| Steam rises from the road in Leilani Estates during the 2018 eruption. HVO photo |
As a dike
continues moving toward the surface, the sinking, or sagging, above it can
progress to form a linear depression with well-defined walls – a feature that
geologists call a graben. In 2018, Highway 130 experienced sagging, but a
graben did not form across the road.
As soon as
Highway 130 sagged and increased heat and gas were observed, HVO field crews
documented and numbered ten major cracks opening across the road. The total
extension measured across these ten cracks was 22 cm (8.6 in) over two days. We
were unable to continue measuring crack widths when steel plates were placed on
top of them to keep the road open and allow the safe flow of traffic.
Sagging and
cracks in the road, as well as increased heat and gas output, meant that magma
was rising closer to the surface under Highway 130. At the same time, new
fissures were opening closer to the highway.
Although
steel plates concealed the growing cracks, HVO geologists had other ways to
determine what was happening below the road. Sagging ground on Highway 130 and
in neighboring properties provided valuable information about where the magma
was located.
Theoretical
calculations of ground deformation around a dike have been known to
volcanologists for decades. Previous modeling shows that the horizontal
distance between two uplifted sections of ground above a dike is directly
related to dike depth below the surface.
On Highway
130, the ground rose slightly in the area of cracks 3 and 8, which were about
100 m (330 ft) apart. Between those two cracks, the ground sagged. Crack 5 was
in the middle of the sag, about 50 m (about 165 ft) from crack 8 to the north
and crack 3 to the south.
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| Cracks, outlined in paint, from the 2018 eruption. HVO photo |
The portion
of the 2018 dike below Highway 130 did not have enough energy to reach the
surface. Now that the uppermost dike is probably solidified, the 2018 magma
just below the surface of the highway and neighboring properties will remain
frozen in the ground as solid rock.
Volcano Activity Updates
Kῑlauea Volcano
is not erupting and its USGS Volcano Alert level remains at NORMAL .
Kīlauea deformation and seismicity showed no notable changes over the past
week. Sulfur dioxide emission rates are low at the summit and below detection
limits at Puʻu ʻŌʻō and the LERZ. The water pond at the bottom of Halema‘uma‘u
continues to slowly expand and deepen.
At or near
the 2018 LERZ eruptive fissures, elevated ground temperatures and minor
releases of gas (steam, tiny amounts of hydrogen sulfide, and carbon dioxide)
persist. These are typical post-eruption conditions and are expected to be
long-term.
Hazards remain at
the LERZ and summit of Kīlauea . Closures and warnings in
these areas should be heeded. The 2018 lava flows are primarily on private
property; please be respectful and do not enter or park on private property.
Visit volcanoes.usgs.gov/hvo
for past Volcano Watch articles, Kīlauea and Mauna
Loa updates, volcano photos, maps, recent earthquake info, and
more. Email questions to askHVO@usgs.gov.
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| Rep. Tulsi Gabbard. Photo from Tulsi2020.com |
REP. TULSI GABBARD NOW SUPPORTS THE IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY into
Pres. Donald Trump, to investigate alleged wrongdoing in dealings with the
Ukranian government. She was the sole holdout of the four U.S.
congresspersons for Hawaiʻi. She told CNN earlier this week that
"It's important that Donald Trump be voted out of office by the American
people." She released a statement today:
"Up to this
point, I have been opposed to pursuing impeachment because it will further
divide our already badly divided country.
"However, after looking carefully at the transcript of the conversation withUkraine 's
President, the whistleblower complaint, the Inspector General memo, and
President Trump's comments about the issue, unfortunately, I believe that if we
do not proceed with the inquiry, it will set a very dangerous precedent. Future
presidents, as well as anyone in positions of power in the government, will
conclude that they can abuse their position for personal gain, without fear of
accountability or consequences.
"If we allow the President to abuse his or her power, then our society will rot from top to bottom. We will turn into a banana republic, where people in positions of power – from the president all the way down to the traffic cop – will feel it's okay to abuse their power with no consequences.
"This is not the kind of country that any of us want to see.
"So it is unfortunate, but necessary, that I speak in support of the inquiry into the President's alleged abuse of power in relation to his interactions withUkraine 's
leaders. This inquiry must be swift, thorough, and narrowly-focused. It cannot
be turned into a long, protracted partisan circus that will further divide our
country and undermine our democracy."
State Sen. Kai Kahele, who is running for Gabbard's position in the U.S. House of Representatives, also said he supports the impeachment proceedings.
"However, after looking carefully at the transcript of the conversation with
"If we allow the President to abuse his or her power, then our society will rot from top to bottom. We will turn into a banana republic, where people in positions of power – from the president all the way down to the traffic cop – will feel it's okay to abuse their power with no consequences.
"This is not the kind of country that any of us want to see.
"So it is unfortunate, but necessary, that I speak in support of the inquiry into the President's alleged abuse of power in relation to his interactions with
State Sen. Kai Kahele, who is running for Gabbard's position in the U.S. House of Representatives, also said he supports the impeachment proceedings.
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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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2019 Kaʻū High School Fall Athletics Schedule
See khpes.org/athletics-home for details and updates
Football, Division II:
Thu., Oct. 3, 7 p.m. Kamehameha hosts Kaʻū
Sat., Oct. 12, 1 p.m. , Kaʻū hosts HPA
Sat., Oct. 19, 11 a.m. , Kaʻū hosts Pāhoa
Sat., Oct. 26, 1 p.m. , Kohala hosts Kaʻū
Fri. and Sat., Nov. 1 and 2, Div II BIIF Championship
Fri. and Sat., Nov. 15 and 16, HHSAA Div II Semifinals
Fri., Nov. 29, HHSAA Div II Championship
Girls Volleyball, Kaʻū District Gym:
Wed., Oct. 2, 6 p.m. , Kaʻū hosts Pāhoa
Fri., Oct. 4, 6 p.m. , Parker hosts Kaʻū
Tue., Oct. 8, 6 p.m. , Kaʻū hosts Ehunui
Thu., Oct. 10, 6 p.m. , Konawaena hosts Kaʻū
Mon., Oct. 14, 6 p.m. , BIIF Div II First Round at
Tue., Oct. 15, 2:30 p.m. , BIIF Div II Semifinals at
Wed., Oct. 16, 4 p.m. , BIIF Div II Finals at
Wed.-Sat., Oct. 23-26, HHSAA DII Tournament, Oʻahu
Wed.-Sat., Oct. 23-26, HHSAA DII Tournament, Oʻahu
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UPCOMING
SATURDAY, SEPT. 28
National Public Lands Day Volunteering, Saturday, Sept. 28, 8:45a.m.-noon, meet at Kīlauea Visitor Center lānai. Wear sturdy hiking shoes and long pants. Bring hat, rain gear, day pack, snacks and water. Gloves and tools provided. Parental or guardian accompaniment or written consent required for under 18. No advance registration required. Volunteers receive pass to return and enjoy park fee-free another day. No entrance fees. nps.gov/havo
SUNDAY, SEPT. 29
Realms and Divisions, Sunday, Sept. 29, 9:30-11:30a.m. , Kahuku Unit, HVNP. Free, moderately difficult, two-mile, hike. Bring snack. nps.gov/havo
E māka‘ika‘i iā Ka‘auea: Explore the Summit, daily (beginning Oct. 1), 11-11:45a.m., in front of Kīlauea Visitor Center. New ranger guided walk exploring geologic features of Kīlauea and their deep connections to Hawaiian history and culture. All ages. Free; park entrance fees apply. 985-6101, nps.gov/havo/
Hawai‘i County Council Mtgs., Tuesday, Oct. 1 (Committees), Wednesday, Oct. 2 (Council), Hilo. Ka‘ū residents can participate via videoconferencing at Nā‘ālehu State Office Building. Agendas at hawaiicounty.gov.
Ka‘ū Coffee Growers Mtg., Tuesday, Oct. 1, 6-8p.m., Pāhala Community Center.
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 2
Hula Voices with Practitioner Randy Lee, Wednesday, Oct. 2 – 1st Wednesday, monthly – 5:30-7p.m., Volcano Art Center Gallery. Desiree Moana Cruz moderates the talk story session. Free. 967-7565, volcanoartcenter.org
Women's Expression Group, Thursday, Oct. 3 – 1st Thursday monthly – 3-4:30p.m., PARENTS Inc., Nā‘ālehu. Women welcome to drop in. Free. Lindsey Miller, 333-3460, lindsey@hawaiiparents.org
Ocean View Neighborhood Watch Mtg., Thursday, Oct. 3, 6-7p.m., Ocean View Community Center. 939-7033, ovcahi.org
31st Trash Show, Tuesday-Saturday, Oct. 4-25, 10a.m.-4p.m., East Hawai‘i Cultural Center. Opening reception, Friday, Oct. 4, 5:30-7p.m. Started in 1988 by Volcano Village artist Ira Ono, the show exhibits works of art made from trash, such as debris from Ka‘ū beaches. $15 general admission, $12 seniors and children. No pre-sale; tickets sold at door 961-5711, ehcc.org
Oktoberfest, Friday, Oct. 4, doors open 5:30p.m., dinner served at 6 p.m., St. Jude's Episcopal Church, Ocean View. Bratwurst, Sauerkraut, Boiled Potatoes, Drinks and Dessert. Live music by Last Fling Band. Tickets at door: $8/person, $15/two, $20/family. 939-7000, stjudeshawaii.org
ONGOING
Nationwide 2019 Congressional App Challenge submissions from middle and high schoolers are open through Friday, Nov. 1. Submit to Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, CongressionalAppChallenge.us, apps "designed to promote innovation and engagement in computer science." All skill levels, all devices and platforms, and all programming languages, accepted.
Artists include Daniel Rokovitz, Stone O'Daugherty, Kristin Mitsu Shiga, Pat Pearlman, and Amy Flanders, Karen and Mark Stebbins. Also on display, small works from the annual Volcano Art Collaboration from June, featuring Rose Adare, Nash Adams-Pruitt, Lisa Louise Adams, Ed Clapp, Amy Flanders, Bill Hamilton, Liz Miller, Joe Laceby, and Erik Wold. volcanoartcenter.org
Girls Exploring Math and Science Registration is open to Kaʻū students The annual event for fifth graders will be held on Tuesday, Dec. 10 at King Kamehameha's Kona Beach Hotel. The mission of the American Association of University Women is to advance equity for women and girls though advocacy, education, and research.
"First Come, First Served" registration forms were mailed to allWest Hawaiʻi and Kaʻū schools on Sept. 9. Registration fee is $20 and scholarships are available. No girl will be turned away because of financial need. Once the 336 available spots are filled, no registrations will be accepted.
"First Come, First Served" registration forms were mailed to all
All fifth grade girls residing in the West Hawaiʻi School complex and Kaʻū who attend public, private, or home schools are welcome. Sponsorship of girls by individuals or businesses will be accepted. For more information about GEMS, to volunteer or sponsor a girl, or to request a registration packet, contact Cindy Armer, GEMS chairperson at cbarmer@hotmail.com or 808-896-7180. Applications are also available at Kona-hi.aauw.net.
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