Kaʻū News Briefs Feb. 10, 2024

Hawai‘i Tourism Authority's graduates of stewardship training for Punalu‘u, which was contracted to Ka ‘Ohana O Honu‘apo. The four-month training was called Ka‘ū Hoa Pili ʻĀina Stewardship Program. Ceremonies were Saturday at Herkes Kaʻū District Gym Multi-Purpose Room. 
Photo by Julia Neal

HAWAI‘I TOURISM AUTHORITY'S PUNALU‘U PROGRAM to train stewards to educate visitors and the public about caring for Punalu‘u came to a close on Saturday with graduation ceremonies for ten students. HTA funded the nonprofit Ka ‘Ohana O Honu‘apo. Students received stipends and guest presenters received an honorarium for the program titled Ka‘ū Hoa Pili ʻĀina Stewardship Training Program.
    Trainers and presenters included Ka ‘Ohana O Honu‘apo board members Nohea Ka‘awa, Daniel Dierking, Ken Sugai, Jodie Rosam, Megan Lamson and Honu‘apo's Loko I‘a coordinator John Replogle. Other guest trainers included Laila Kaupu, Makani Gregg, Seafina Gaete, Kau‘i Felder, Kalā Mossman, Pam Fujii and Wally Ito. Replogle ran the program as Mālama ‘Āina Coordinator. The Assistant Coordinator was Alexis Kerver.
   During the graduation ceremonies, Hō‘ike Honoring Haumāna of Ka‘ū Hoa Pili ʻĀina Training Program, students said they learned about the natural resources and ongoing stewardship along the entire Kaʻū Coast and mauka into the native forest during the four-month program. They also visited places outside Kaʻū including the native plant nursery inside Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park and Miloli‘i.
    Visits to Punalu‘u included a tour with Guy Enriques, who shared his life growing up there where his grandmother was a native Hawaiian speaker and his family members remain part of the fishing community.
    HTA also chose Kealakekua Bay for a similar program and said that both Punalu‘u and Kealakekua have become especially popular with visitors, resulting in overcrowding, congestion, natural and cultural resource degradation, and safety hazards.

Students made the stamps and printed the cloth to make kīhei, which they wore at
graduation from the stewardship program, funded by Hawai‘i Tourism Authority.

Photo by Julia Neal

    When announcing the programs, Rachel Kaiama, Island of Hawai‘i Visitors Bureau destination manager, said “With the support of HTA and its emphasis on destination management, we are seeing more ways in which regenerative tourism on Hawai‘i Island is working through ‘āina- and placed-based community models. These programs will further assist in our collaborative efforts to care for the natural and cultural resources of sacred places with resident-community stewards taking the lead for Punalu‘u and Kealakekua."
     HTA's invitation to the graduation ceremony said the program for Punalu‘u focused on "pono practices at Punalu'u and other Kaʻū sites to share and engage with visitors." It invited the attendees to "Discuss the Ka'ū Hoa Pili ʻĀina effort with training program director Jodie Rosam of Ka ‘Ohana O Honu‘apo" and with Kaiama from the Visitors Bureau.
    Nine of the students made presentations, each showing a native or canoe plant that had meaning to them and explaining the impact of the program on their lives.

    Alden Wells, a Volcano resident who lived in his family home at Honu‘apo for three years, presented the mountain naupaka plant and noted the other naupaka that grows by the ocean. He said they are symbolic of the 18 years of his life, living mauka and makai. He noted that Kaʻū is "one tight-knit community" and that living here has had a big impact on him.

    He also talked about Hawai‘i being the extinction capital of the world, but also having hope, pointing out that through the program he was able to steward an area where all of the plants around him were native Hawaiian.
     Christine Alley said she grew up here and through the program was able to visit places she didn't know existed, increasing her experience of everything Kaʻū has to offer. She said there is a need for more stewardship programs to help raise appreciation for the place. She noted that many people are not necessarily "proud of being from here," and thanked the mentors "who have impacted on me."

Ka 'Ohana O Honu'apo logo 

    Neil Nevis, from Kahuku, presented a ti plant, which he described as a canoe plant brought by early Polynesians. He talked about restoring rock walls at Honu‘apo and going to places he had never been, like Kaiholena in the mountains, as part of the classes and volunteer days.
   Crystal Leonards of Kahuku brought a wiliwili tree. She said it reminded her of what it means to be strong and resilient. She described learning about endangered plants and the surprise of learning how unique the ecosystems are on this island. Leonards pointed out the impacts of feral ungulates on the forests, emphasizing that pigs can spread Rapid ‘Ōhia Death. She highlighted the stark differences in forest health between fenced and unfenced areas.
   Coby Lund presented a popolo plant used in Hawaiian medicine and for dyes. He expressed appreciation for the diverse experience of the training program, saying he initially "thought we would be kicking out tourists from bothering the turtles" at Punalu‘u. He said the program gave him a deep connection to Ka‘ū and changed the way he goes about his life.
    Chelseae Kobzi, who was raised in Pāhala, and is accomplished in hula, presented the Kalo plant, also called taro. She said the shoots remind her of ‘ohana; the roots remind her of the ground "where you come from;" and the heart-shaped leaves remind her of love.

    She also noted taking a class on limu, seaweed, which was part of the program and said she now has her own dried, pressed limu collection. She said she appreciated time spent with the community in Miloli‘i and said, "Hopefully, we can eventually have some strong hui out here, like them." She said, "You don't have to be Hawaiian to be aloha. It's your action."
    She talked about Punalu‘u where she saw nēnē and butterflies flying by, and whales waving. She emphasized stewardship of South Point, which is also overrun with traffic and expressed "grief for the ‘āina."
    Ali Birnbaum, originally from Connecticut, presented the naupaka plant from the seashore. She expressed gratitude for learning to take "care of the land." She said she wants to encourage more volunteering along the Kaʻū Coast and gave Miloli‘i as a good example of a community working together. She noted that she helped gather pili grass for a hale there. She said "the heart of the program is going out and helping."
    Jimmy Cocallas, who lives mauka of Kalae, on the border of Waiomao and Kiolaka‘a, presented a kō plant, sugar cane. He said he has his own juicer and goes to market with it. He noted the desecration of South Point and said there is a need for resource management.

Christine Inserra of Kiolakaʻa brought an ʻōhiʻa, highlighting that ʻōhiʻa are the first colonizers of a new lava flow, and build entire forests from tiny seeds that take root into the cracks of new flows. She expressed heartfelt memories of the program and how it has impacted her. A former resident of Hōnaunau, she said Kaʻū has grabbed ahold of her, and that she has never felt more at home.

Another graduate of the program was Hezekiah Keaohuloa-Aldaya, of Pāhala, who reported being absent due to work obligations.
    In its announcement, HTA stated that "Under the direction of the non-profit Ka ʻOhana O Honu‘apo, this program is part of HTAʻs community-driven approach to destination management as guided by the 2020-2025 Strategic Plan and Hawai‘i Island Destination Management Action Plan. HTA has issued a new request for proposals for its 2024-2027 Development of Destination Management Action Plans. See www.hawaiitourismauthority.org/rfps/.

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KAʻŪ YOUTH ARE INVITED TO APPLY FOR RANGE CAMP IN WAIMEA.  The Hawai‘i Range Camp is in its inaugural year and will welcome the first cohort of haumāna during Spring Break March 18-22 for a week-long, high-school-aged, environmental education camp focused on rangeland working landscapes. The home base will be Hanaipoe Cabin at Parker Ranch in Waimea.         

    Camp will introduce haumāna to the ecosystem services and functions as well as the professional world of plant, animal, and landscape management unique to rangelands in Hawai‘i. This will be facilitated by presentations and immersive experiences with local experts in scientific disciplines related to rangelands, livestock, wildlife, watersheds, soils, and plants, as well as experienced professionals who are involved in managing resources of these kinds daily.

   The theme for this year's Hawai‘i Range Camp is He aliʻi ka ʻāina, he kauwā ke kanaka - "The land is chief, man is the servant." The goal of this program is to cultivate a relationship with and grow an understanding of and respect for these landscapes that humans occupy and that support communities and ways of life. 

    A statement from the organizers says, "The values of kuleana, pono, and mālama are the seeds that will be sown in these young people that we expect will bear fruit as they find their paths and determine their roles in our future. We hope to inspire them to not only love this place and care deeply for it but also to help them understand our history and the challenges that lie ahead and motivate them to use the gifts and opportunities they have to serve our aliʻi, our ʻāina, well."
    Camp sessions in this yearʻs program include: Natural History of Hawai‘i, Agricultural History of Hawai‘i. Parker Ranch History. Intro to Range and Natural Resource Management, Watershed function on working rangelands, Soils and geology, Climate, Soils and grasslands, Botany/Plant ID, Animal Science: Herbivore anatomy and nutrition, Grass-based livestock production and Forage Nutrition and Management, Estimating forage production and forage allocation, Range Ecology, Rangeland Health and Grazing Management. and Wildlife and Range.
    Nicole Glase will give a presentation and discussion on Contemporary Issues and Challenges Facing Rangelands.

   The entire program is field-based. Haumāna will learn practical skills including estimating available forage, plant identification, and soil texturing.                  Lessons also include digging and exploring a soil pit with application to describing soil horizons and understanding soil development processes and the way geology affects the soils here.

    Participants will learn about the unique anatomy of herbivores and how they interact with landscapes and make the food choices they do. They will also

discuss how grazing animals affect Hawai‘iʻs rangelands, how to recognize indicators of rangeland health and the challenge of balancing forage demand with the landʻs potential. 

     Ma ka hana ka ʻike is the main learning model. Evening sessions will feature talk story sessions with kūpuna and current leaders to discuss Hawai‘iʻs history and events and circumstances and changes that have shaped the ʻāina. The last day will culminate in a capstone project where haumāna will translate the ʻike they have gained from the week into the contemporary language of their peers, aka social media.

     Sponsors include Hawai‘i Range & Stewardship Foundation, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, The Healy Foundation, Paniolo Preservation Society, Na Maka Onaoa, Parker Ranch and University of Hawai‘i Cooperative Extension. 

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Kaʻū News Briefs Feb. 9, 2024

USGS reports little damage but very strong shaking during the Magnitude 5.7 earthquake Friday morning.
USGS image

A MAGNITUDE 5.7 EARTHQUAKE on Friday broke through the ongoing flurry of small quakes between Volcano and Punalu‘u that are attributed to many theories, from lava flowing under the ground between the volcanoes Mauna Loa, Kīlauea and the Lo‘ihi Seamount to a potential eruption of Kīlauea in the Kaʻū Desert. This bigger quake, at 10:07 a.m. on Friday, jolted this island and was felt all the way to Kaua'i.
    It is being described by USGS as different than the smaller, shallower ones, but a common quake associated with the big volcanoes, sinking under their own weight. In this case, the quake came from Mauna Loa, according to USGS.
    USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory issued a statement saying, "The earthquake had no apparent impact on either Mauna Loa or Kīlauea volcanoes. Numerous aftershocks have been felt and are expected to continue. This earthquake is likely associated with lithospheric flexure caused by the weight of the Hawaiian Islands on the oceanic lithosphere. The USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory continues to monitor Hawaiian volcanoes for any changes."

     The epicenter was 1.5 miles southwest of Pāhala and 22.9 miles deep. It shook things off shelves and walls

Bill Hanson, of Hawai‘i County Civil Defense, points to the USGS map showing
the epicenter of the M5.7 quake near Pāhala. Photo by Kaʻū High alumnus Tim Wright

in Pāhala, Nā‘ālehu and beyond, inside stores, homes, clinics, the hospital and coffee and macadamia mills and bakeshop. Broken glasses, cups, vases and picture frames were among the losses. The old wooden sugar cane houses in Pāhala and Nā‘ālehu shook loudly.
    Power outages were reported from Nā‘ālehu to Honu‘apo.

    A statement from the County of Hawai‘i called it "a significant earthquake" and noted that there was no tsunami threat to the region. The County also noted that the quake was initially reported as an M6.3, but downgraded to 5.7 on the Richter scale. Its epicenter was also originally placed in the ocean southeast of Nā‘ālehu.
    The County reported minor landslides, resulting in debris on various roadways, saying, "Prompt action has been taken by the Hawaiʻi County Department of Public Works and State Highways teams to clear most of the debris, ensuring the safety and accessibility of affected areas. These teams remain vigilant and proactive, addressing any potential obstructions on roadways as needed."

 

USGS map of the many quakes in the area.

The County invited residents who experienced damages from the earthquake to declare them via the County of Hawaiʻi Civil Defense website. "The County remains committed to providing regular updates to residents in the event of any significant changes to the current situation."
    Visit https://hawaii-county-civil-defense-agency-hawaiicountygis.hub.arcgis.com/.
    Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park posted a USGS map showing the big quake among many others. The Park reported no damage and that the park remained open. There was a lot of shaking at its Kahuku Unit.

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Mele Mural at Nā‘ālehu Elementary is called Kaʻū Mākaha and was recently completed by students and their partners at the school. Photo from Nā‘ālehu Elementary Principal Wilma Roddy

A MELE MURAL IS THE NEW BIG ART AT NĀ‘ĀLEHU ELEMENTARY SCHOOL The large-scale artwork is named Kaʻū Mākaha and is one in a "mural series that deepens connection to place through Hawaiian culture, mele, mindfulness meditation, and big art!" according to the project's Instagram. It was painted by the Nā‘ālehu Mele Murals Core Hui, Nainoa Rosehill, Angela Natrasevschi, and her students Pualilia Duboit and the organization Estria.

    Estria Foundation creates art in public with assistance from artists, youth, educators, and activists. "Our goal is to raise awareness and inspire action in the movement to resolve human and environmental issues while educating and developing youth," says its website at melemurals.org. The Estria Foundation was founded in 2010 by mural artist Todd “Estria” Johnson and technologist Jeremy LaTrasse. Their aim is to "raise the social consciousness on human and environmental issues through public art projects, education, and community events across the globe." Another local mural project at Estria is at Mountain View.
During the Nā‘ālehu Elementary production, family and friends of the students were invited to help with the painting, pai‘ena pena, including outlining the mural images.

     The signage for the mural gives mahalo to Ke Akua, Nā Akua, Nā Aumākua, Nā Kupuna, Principal Wilma Roddy, Cas Stacey Bello, ‘Iwalani Harris, Ulu Makuakane, Corina Adams, Jessica Lorenzo, ‘Aliohilani Housman, staff of Nā‘ālehu Elementary School, Estria and Nā Kia‘i O Kaʻū.

Students, sponsors and leaders of the Mele Mural project revealed their finished work at
Nāʻālehu Elementary School. Photo from Nāʻālehu Elementary Principal Wilma Roddy

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Kaʻū News Briefs Feb. 8, 2024

Hawai‘i Supreme Court Building Ali‘iolani Hale, where Justices on Wednesday ruled unanimously to push back on recent
federal interpretations loosening gun laws. Hawai‘i Justices ruled to protect state gun licensing. Photo from HPR

HAWAI‘I SUPREME COURT UPHELD GUN LAWS THAT BAN FIREARMS IN PUBLIC WITHOUT A LICENSE. The five -zero ruling on Wednesday also took issue with the U.S. Supreme Court's recent interpretations that make it easier to carry weapons across the country.

    Hawai‘i Attorney General Anne Lopez praised the Hawaiʻi Supreme Court for its decision to uphold the constitutionality of state “place to keep” firearms laws, which generally prohibit carrying a firearm in public without a license. The case focused on the Hawai‘i Constitution's wording that says, "A well-regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed." The Hawai‘i judges ruled that keeping and bearing arms does not prohibit the

The statue of King Kamehameha stands outside the
Hawai‘i Supreme Court building. Photo from Wikipedia

state from requiring licensing.
    Their unanimous opinion, in State v. Wilson, reaffirmed that under the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, “States retain the authority to require that individuals have a license before carrying firearms in public.” The opinion noted that the Hawai‘i Constitution nearly mirrors the U.S. Constitution, but took issue with the U.S. Supreme Court's 2022 decision to loosen gun laws. In that decision, the U.S. Supreme Court wrote that restrictions must be "consistent with this nation's historical tradition of firearm regulation," pointing to a time of active militias defending communities, a time before automatic and other more lethal weapons were developed.
    Justice Todd Eddins, who wrote the decision for the Hawai‘i Supreme Court, said that "Time-traveling to 1791 or 1868 to collar how a state regulates lethal weapons – per the Constitution's democratic design - is a dangerous way to look at the federal constitution. The Constitution is not a 'suicide pact.'"

    He also pointed out that since the defendant in this litigation “made no attempt to get a license, he cannot claim the law’s application procedures are unconstitutional as applied to him.”

    Hawaiʻi Supreme Court also rejected the notion that the Hawaiʻi Constitution independently bars the state of Hawaiʻi from enacting and enforcing gun safety legislation. The ruling states that “the Hawaiʻi Constitution does not afford a right to carry firearms in public places for self defense.” The court noted that the words of the Hawaiʻi Constitution confer a right to “keep and bear arms” in the context of a “well-regulated militia.” This language—read in light of Hawaiʻi’s long history of protective firearms laws—excludes an individual right to carry deadly weapons in public under the Hawaiʻi Constitution.
    “This is a landmark decision that affirms the constitutionality of crucial gun-safety legislation,” said the Hawai‘i Attorney General. “Gun violence is a serious problem, and commonsense tools like licensing and registration have an important role to play in addressing that problem. More broadly, Justice Eddins’ thoughtful and scholarly opinion for the court provides an important reminder about the crucial role that state courts play in our federal system.”
    “We congratulate our friends and partners at the Department of the Prosecuting Attorney for the County of Maui for their work on this important case,” said the Hawai‘i AG.
    The case is State of Hawaiʻi v. Wilson, SCAP-22-0000561. A copy of the Hawaiʻi Supreme Court opinion can be found at https://www.courts.state.hi.us/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/SCAP-22-0000561.pdf

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USGS reports that some new cracks in the Ka‘ū Desert are over 100 feet (30 meters) long. Note the person for scale
 in the right upper portion of the photo. USGS photo by N. Deligne

CRACKS OVER 100 FEET LONG HAVE OPENED UP IN THE KAʻŪ DESERT, according to USGS scientists who visited the area along the Maunaiki Trail last Saturday, Feb. 3. This week's Volcano Watch column reports that a team of Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists "documented new ground cracks in three areas of the Maunaiki Trail in the Ka‘ū Desert, caused by the intrusion southwest of Kīlauea's summit caldera." They said the cracks cut through loose Keanakāko‘i tephra which blanketed the region in 1790 CE during an eruption 234 years ago. Maunaiki also erupted in 1919, lasting into early 1920. Another nearby eruption in the Southwest Rift Zone occurred in 1974.

    The weekly article by HVO scientists and affiliates continues:

    Last week, USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists were closely monitoring earthquakes and ground deformation in the region southwest of Kīlauea’s summit. The increased unrest prompted HVO to raise the Alert Level/Aviation Color Code for Kīlauea to WATCH/ORANGE on January 31 as another intrusive event began beneath the surface.

This map shows recent unrest at Kīlauea volcano. Yellow circles mark earthquake locations from January 31, 2024, through February 3, 2024, as recorded by HVO seismometers. Colored fringes denote areas of ground deformation over a one-day timeframe from 6 p.m. HST on January 31 through 6 p.m. HST on February 1, 2024. More fringes indicate more deformation. The complex patterns indicate overall deflation of the summit area as magma moved underground to the southwest, where the patterns show uplift and spreading (along with subsidence) due to intrusion of a dike (a vertical sheet of magma). USGS map

    Intrusions are when magma breaks rock to create new pathways within the ground. As magma moves beneath the surface into its new space, the ground above it deforms to accommodate the new material. HVO detects intrusions through earthquake locations (which occur where rocks break) and changes in the ground surface, known as deformation (which can be recorded using tiltmeters, GPS, and satellite-based methods).
    Earthquake swarms south of Kīlauea caldera began over the weekend, on January 27. This activity was not surprising, as intermittent earthquake swarms have been occurring in the south caldera since October 2023, and there is a known body of magma in this area.

Hand-colored image of the Maunaiki Eruption taken on May 17, 1920in the 
Ka‘ū Desert. Photo by Ihei Morihiro, gifted to USGS by Roger Meyers 

  On January 31, however, earthquake activity significantly increased, with over 700 earthquakes detected throughout the day. The number of actual earthquakes was likely much greater, as many of the smallest earthquakes went undetected in the intense swarm of activity.
    Coincident with the increased earthquake activity, tiltmeters at Uēkahuna bluff (the summit of Kīlauea) and Sand Hill (southwest of the caldera) began to show changes to the ground surface. Starting just before 4:30 a.m. HST in the morning, the tiltmeters began to show highly variable directions and rates, indicative of crack growth that can precede either an eruption or intrusion. The increased earthquake activity and complex tilt patterns prompted HVO to raise the Alert Level/Aviation Color Code for Kīlauea to WATCH/ORANGE at 4:41 a.m. HST.
    HVO seismologists were analyzing earthquake locations in real-time. Earthquakes beneath Halema‘uma‘u might signal the potential for an eruption there (as occurred in the hours before recent

Upper small flow from the Maunaiki eruption, looking up the crack line on Dec. 22, 1919 in the Ka‘ū Desert between

 Pāhala and Volcano. Photo by R. Finch/USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.

eruptions in Halema‘uma‘u). HVO geologists and volcanic gas specialists poised themselves on the rim of Kīlauea caldera, ready to collect data in the event of a new eruption.
    However, earthquake locations instead migrated farther to the southwest, along the Koa‘e fault system. By the evening, the tiltmeters showed a more consistent deflationary signal. Together, the two monitoring datasets indicated that magma had opened a new pathway and was moving from the storage system below Kīlauea summit to the southwest.    

Two driblet spires during Maunaiki eruption in the Ka‘ū Desert, showing one
 that is split, on Dec. 22, 1919. USGS photo by R. Flinch

    These observations were confirmed later with satellite-based InSAR data, which showed that between 6 p.m. HST on January 31 through 6 p.m. HST on February 1, 2024, Kīlauea’s summit area deflated as the region southwest uplifted (up to about 50 centimeters, or 20 inches) and spread apart. In the center of the uplifted area, a narrow band of subsidence marks where the dike (a vertical sheet of magma) intruded, with a small section of ground dropping to accommodate lateral spreading.
    On February 2, the number of earthquakes began to decrease, along with ground deformation rates. On the morning of February 3, HVO lowered the Alert Level/Aviation Color Code for Kīlauea back down to ADVISORY/WATCH.
    While there have been several intrusions in the south caldera region of Kīlauea recently—in December and October 2023, 2021, and 2015—the recent intrusion extended farther southwest, towards Pu‘ukoa‘e and the Kamakai‘a Hills on the Southwest Rift Zone of Kīlauea. As a result of the intrusion, surface cracks, extending tens of meters in length and centimeters (inches) in width, formed in loose Keanakāko‘i
tephra along the Maunaiki trail near Twin Pit Craters in the Kaʻū Desert of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park.

Crack shows through the veneer of sand during Maunaiki eruption,
below upper small flow on Dec. 22, 1919 in the Ka‘ū Desert. 
USGS photo by R. Finch

    The south caldera area and Koa‘e fault system are informal names for specific geographic areas that we see on the surface of Kīlauea, but they extend into the subsurface. There is a well-known magma body beneath the south caldera region (the largest magma storage region of Kīlauea) and the Koa‘e faults are structural features related to Kīlauea’s south flank. How these features are connected beneath the surface, to each other, and to the Southwest Rift Zone of Kīlauea is not well understood.
    Intrusions are a common process that volcanoes around the world experience, akin to a pressure-release valve for the magma reservoir. Although there hasn’t been an eruption at Kīlauea since September 2023, the recent intrusion shows us that the volcano has been very busy beneath the surface.

Maunaiki Eruption, December 22, 2019, in the Ka‘ū Desert:  Upper

slag heap beginning, taken from the east. USGS photo by R. Finch

Volcano Activity Updates: Kīlauea is not erupting. Its USGS Volcano Alert level is ADVISORY.
Seismicity at Kīlauea's summit and along the Koa‘e fault system southwest of the caldera continues to decrease following an intrusion of magma into the area that occurred January 31-February 1, 2024. Tiltmeters near Sand Hill and Uēkahuna bluff have recorded little change over the past week, both show mild deflationary trends. Periods of increased earthquake activity and rates of ground deformation can be expected to continue in this region. No unusual activity has been noted along the rift zones.

    Mauna Loa is not erupting. Its USGS Volcano Alert Level is at NORMAL.
    Webcams show no signs of activity on Mauna Loa. Summit seismicity has remained at low levels over the past month. Ground deformation indicates continuing slow inflation as magma replenishes the reservoir system following the 2022 eruption. SO2 emission rates are at background levels.
    One earthquake was reported felt in the Hawaiian Islands during the past week: a M3.6 earthquake 11 km (6 mi) E of Pāhala at 1 km (1 mi) depth on Feb. 2 at 8:33 p.m. HST.

Maunaiki Eruption, Jan. 1, 1920: Paheohoe torrent pouring southwest toward distant Kamakaiʻa Hills, showing terrace formation and downslumping of escarpments along the rift. A cascade is pouring over one of the terraces. The ejection of this long lava flow caused an amphitheater circular in plan to slump in the crest of the low dome already formed in the Ka‘ū Desert.

USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory photo by Thomas Jaggar

    

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WITH SUPER BOWL LVIII TAKING PLACE THIS SUNDAY, Feb. 11, the Hawai‘i Police Department has teamed up with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to remind Big Island football fans that Fans Don’t Let Fans Drive Drunk.
    HPD advises, "Whether you’re hosting a Super Bowl viewing party or attending one, everyone has an important job to do: help keep drunk drivers off the road so everyone can make it home safely on game day.

  “We take care of each other and our ohana on the Big Island, so if you’re planning on having a Superbowl party, please make a game plan to help your guests get home safely,” says Torey Keltner, HPD’s Traffic Services Section Program Manager.
    “Sadly, five people have died in just the past six weeks in traffic crashes across the island and 98 motorists have been arrested for DUI,” said Keltner. Nationally, one person is killed every 39 minutes in a drunk-driving crash on our nation’s roads. The rate of alcohol impairment among drivers involved in fatal crashes is nearly twice as high at night than during the day.
    He recommends, "Have a Game Plan. This year get ahead of the game and create your game plan now. If you’re going to a Super Bowl party and you plan to drink alcohol, make sure you plan for a designated driver to get you home safely.
    "If you’re hosting a party, prepare plenty of non-alcoholic drink options and food for your guests.
If you’re a designated driver, be the night’s MVP and keep that commitment front and center. Another important reminder: Never serve alcohol to minors. If an underage person drinks and drives, the person who provided the alcohol can be held liable for any damage, injury, or death caused by the underage driver."
   HPD states that Hawai‘i Island police will be out in force throughout Superbowl weekend.
    “HPD Officers are already preparing for additional DUI roadblocks and DUI patrols this weekend,” said Keltner. “The bottom line is that we want everyone to be safe. For Super Bowl LVIII, be a team player and remember: Fans Don’t Let Fans Drive Drunk.”

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