Federal Disaster Declared due to Hawaii Eruption, Lava Flow

VOLCANIC HAZARDS
KILAUEA JUNE 27TH LAVA FLOW
FEDERAL DISASTER DECLARATION
SCENARIOS 989, 900, 797, 787, 707, 444, 402, 070, 047, 017, 07, 02
.

Major Disaster Declaration for Kīlauea June 27th Flow (DR – 4201)

The White House has declared a federal disaster in Hawaii County due to Kilauea’s Pu’u ‘Ō’ō volcanic eruption and the June 27th lava flow.

“Kenneth K. Suiso has been named as the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the affected area.  Suiso said additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the state and warranted by the results of further damage assessments,” said White House in a statement.

KILAUEA VOLCANO (VNUM #332010)
19°25’16” N 155°17’13” W, Summit Elevation 4091 ft (1247 m)
Current Volcano Alert Level: WARNING
Current Aviation Color Code: ORANGE

Kīlauea Latest Images: November 2, 2014

A breakout occurs from an inflated lobe of the June 27th lava flow on Sunday morning, November 2, 2014. Scattered breakouts like this, which took place about 200 meters (218 yards) upslope of the stalled leading edge, have been common over the past few days and are filling in low points behind the flow front. [Source: HVO]

Summit Observations: At Kīlauea volcano’s summit, tilt and lava lake level inferred from the webcams continue their gradual recoveries following last week’s DI event. Volcanic tremor persists at low amplitudes which show episodic fluctuation. There are no significant local seismic events evident on the seismograms from the NPT seismic station that is closest to Halemaʻumaʻu Crater. Sulfur-dioxide emission rate measurements for the summit ranged from 4,250 up to 7,000 tonnes/day (see caveat below) through the week-long period ending October 28, 2014. A small amount of particulate material was carried aloft by the plume. [HVO]

Activity Summary: Kīlauea volcano continued to erupt at its summit and within its East Rift Zone, and gas emissions remained elevated. As of Monday morning, the leading edge of the June 27th lava flow had not advanced beyond where it stalled late last week, in a residential area approximately 155 meters (170 yards) above Pāhoa Village Road. Activity behind the lava flow’s leading edge, within the flow’s interior and along its side margins, continued with localized breakouts of molten lava. Gradual inflation was recorded by the tiltmeters at Kīlauea’s summit. The level of the summit lava lake at Halemaʻumaʻu Crater, as reflected in web cam images, has also risen since Sunday. [HVO]

• Sulfur Dioxide Advisory Level

Related Links

• Kilauea Lava Flow Could Affect Thousands on Hawaiʻi Island  September 5, 2014
• Lava Flow from Kilauea Advancing AGAIN on Big Island Communities October 7, 2014
• Kīlauea Lava Flow Consuming Everything Along Its Paths October 27, 2014
• Lava Flow Nearing Residences in Pāhoa, Hawaii October 28, 2014
• Lava Enters Two Residences in Pāhoa October 29, 2014

June 27th Flow Could Reach Ocean by May 2015

VOLCANIC HAZARDS
KILAUEA JUNE 27TH LAVA FLOW
STATE OF EMERGENCY PROCLAMATION
MASS EVACUATIONS
LOSS OF HABITAT
CROP DESTRUCTION
SCENARIOS 989, 900, 797, 787, 707, 444, 402, 070, 047, 017, 07, 02
.

Kilauea’s lava flow continues to cross Pāhoa Village

FIRE-EARTH estimates the June 27th flow could reach the ocean, currently about 10km away, by May 2015. Temperature of the lava exceeds 850°C along the leading edge of the most rapidly advancing part of the flow.

HVO Daily Update:  October 29, 2014 @09:12 AM HST (Wednesday, October 29, 2014 @ 19:12 UTC)

KILAUEA VOLCANO (VNUM #332010)
Coordinates: 19°25’16” N 155°17’13” W (19.421111N, 155.286944W)
Summit Elevation: 4091 ft (1,247 m)
Current Volcano Alert Level: WARNING
Current Aviation Color Code: ORANGE

Activity Summary: Kīlauea continues to erupt at its summit and within its East Rift Zone, and gas emissions remained elevated. Currently, the June 27th flow is advancing northeast through a residential area between Apaʻa St/Cemetery Rd and Pāhoa Village Road. During the past 24 hours, the leading edge of the most rapidly advancing part of the flow advanced at an average rate of roughly 10 m/hr (~11 yd/hr); between 2am and 630 am this morning, the rate of advance slowed to roughly 5 m/hr (~5.5 yd/hr). At 7AM, the flow front was about 240 m (~260 yd) straight-line distance from Pāhoa Village Road. Source: HVO

Currently, the flow continues to advance at a rate of 5 m/hr (~5.5 yd/hr), said HVO.

• GPS receivers in the summit area have recorded slight contraction across the caldera since early July. The most recent sulfur-dioxide emission rate measurements for the summit were 2,700–3,600 tonnes/day (see caveat here) for the week ending October 21, 2014.
• The ambient SO2 concentrations near the vent vary greatly, but are persistently higher than 10 ppm and frequently exceed 50 ppm (upper limit of detector) during moderate trade winds.
• The gas plume typically includes a small amount of ash-sized tephra (mostly fresh spatter bits and Pele’s hair from the circulating lava lake). The heaviest pieces are deposited onto nearby surfaces while the finer bits can be carried several kilometers before dropping out of the plume.

A view of the flow over Cemetery Rd./Apaʻa St. The transfer station is at the top of the image. Source: HVO

The June 27th flow remains active, and is slowly approaching Pāhoa Village Road. This photo was taken just before 10 am, and shows the flow front moving through private property towards a low point on the road. At 11:30 am today, the flow front was 215 m (235 yards) from Pāhoa Village Road. Source: HVO

This photo looks downslope from Cemetery Road, and shows the pasture and cemetery that the flow front advanced through several days ago. Much of the cemetery has been covered by lava, but a kipuka has left a portion of the cemetery uncovered for now. Source: HVO

Related Links

• Lava Enters Two Residences in Pāhoa October 29, 2014
• Kilauea Lava Flow Could Affect Thousands on Hawaiʻi Island  September 5, 2014
• Lava Flow from Kilauea Advancing AGAIN on Big Island Communities October 7, 2014
• Kīlauea Lava Flow Consuming Everything Along Its Paths October 27, 2014
• Lava Flow Nearing Residences in Pāhoa, Hawaii October 28, 2014

Lava Flow Nearing Residences in Pāhoa, Hawaii

VOLCANIC HAZARDS
KILAUEA JUNE 27TH LAVA FLOW
STATE OF EMERGENCY PROCLAMATION
MASS EVACUATIONS
LOSS OF HABITAT
CROP DESTRUCTION
SCENARIOS 989, 900, 797, 787, 707, 444, 402, 070, 047, 017, 07, 02
.

Kīlauea continues to erupt,

Active lava flows can produce methane blasts, propelling rocks and other debris into the air, said HVO.

Kilauea Status Reports, Updates, and Information Releases  issued by the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO)

Monday, October 27, 2014 5:51 PM HST (Tuesday, October 28, 2014 03:51 UTC)

• The advance rate of the narrow leading edge varied between 7 and 10 meters (8 and 11 yards) per hour today, which is equivalent to 170 and 240 meters (185 and 260 yards) per day. As of 4:30 PM, the flow was 510 meters (560 yards) upslope from Pāhoa Village Road; the flow width was about 50 meters (55 yards) at the leading edge.
• The most recent sulfur-dioxide emission rate measurements for the summit were 2,700–3,600 tonnes/day (see caveat here) for the week ending October 21, 2014. A small amount of particulate material was carried aloft by the plume.
• Potentially-lethal concentrations of sulfur dioxide gas may be present within 1 km downwind of vent areas.

The June 27th lava flow remained active, and the flow front was nearing residential areas in the northwest portion of Pāhoa. The flow front was heading towards a low spot on the Pāhoa Village Road, between Apaʻa St. and the post office. This photo was taken at 11:30 am HST on Monday, when the flow front was 540 meters (0.3 miles) from Pāhoa Village Road. Source: HVO

This annotated photograph shows the notable features around the flow front. The photo was taken at 11:30 am, and also shows the distance the flow front has traveled between Cemetery Rd./Apaʻa St. and Pāhoa Village Rd. Source: HVO

A comparison of a normal photograph with a thermal image. The white box shows the approximate extent of the thermal image. The elevated temperatures (white and yellow areas) around the flow front indicate that significant activity is focused at the front, driving its forward movement. In addition, a slow-moving lobe was active upslope of Cemetery Rd. Farther upslope, scattered breakouts persist in the wider portion of the flow.  Source: HVO

• Sulfur Dioxide Advisory Level

Related Links

• Kilauea Lava Flow Could Affect Thousands on Hawaiʻi Island  September 5, 2014
• Lava Flow from Kilauea Advancing AGAIN on Big Island Communities October 7, 2014
• Kīlauea Lava Flow Consuming Everything Along Its Paths October 27, 2014

Kīlauea Lava Flow Consuming Everything Along Its Paths

VOLCANIC HAZARDS
KILAUEA JUNE 27TH LAVA FLOW
STATE OF EMERGENCY PROCLAMATION
MASS EVACUATIONS
LOSS OF HABITAT
CROP DESTRUCTION
SCENARIOS 989, 900, 797, 787, 707, 444, 070, 047, 017, 07, 02
.

Kīlauea Lava Flow Advancing toward Pāhoa, Hawaii

The June 27th lava flow continues advancing toward Pāhoa at a rate of up to 360 meters per day.

Kilauea Status Reports, Updates, and Information Releases  issued by the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO)

Sunday, October 26, 2014 5:59 PM HST (Monday, October 27, 2014 03:59 UTC)

KILAUEA VOLCANO (VNUM #332010)
19°25’16” N, 155°17’13” W, Summit Elevation 4091 ft (1,247 m)
Current Volcano Alert Level: WARNING
Current Aviation Color Code: ORANGE

The relatively narrow finger of lava that crossed Apaʻa Street yesterday morning continued to travel downslope, splitting into two lobes as it advanced. The faster, northern lobe crossed completely through the Pāhoa cemetery by mid-morning, while the slower southern lobe was advancing through open pasture south of the cemetery. Another lobe farther upslope, just above Apaʻa Street, advanced about 50 meters (55 yards) since yesterday.

Over the course of the day, the advance rate of the narrow finger that crossed the cemetery varied from about 10 and 15 meters per hour (11 to 16 yards per hour), which is equivalent to 240–360 meters per day (260–390 yards per day). As of 5 PM, the faster-moving finger was about 390 meters (425 yards) downslope of Apaʻa Street and 660 meters (720 yards) upslope from Pāhoa Village Road. It had an average width of about 40 m (45 yd). The slightly slower-moving southern lobe in the pasture south of the cemetery reached slightly steeper terrain at mid-afternoon today, and was traveling at about 9 meters per hour (10 yards per hour) at 5 PM. It will likely rejoin with the finger that came through the cemetery near the northeast end of the pasture. [HVO]

 

As of 10 AM, HST, on October 26, 2014, the June 27th flow front remains active and continues to advance towards the northeast. A portion of the front is still moving through the open field (shown here), while the leading tip of the flow has advanced through the Pāhoa cemetery. Source: HVO

An HVO geologist walks across the surface of the flow, which covers the short access road to the cemetery. As is typical for pāhoehoe, the flow has inflated over the past day and was chest high in many places. Source: HVO

The June 27th lava flow crossed Apaʻa Street / Cemetery Road at 3:50 AM, HST, Saturday morning, October 25, 2014. In this photo, which was taken at about 9 AM Saturday, the flow is moving from right to left, with burning asphalt visible along it’s NW margin. A utility pole, far right, was surrounded by lava but remained standing at the time of the photo. The hope is that the protective insulation and cinder/cement barrier around the pole will prevent it from burning through. Source: HVO

This map uses a satellite image acquired in March 2014 (provided by Digital Globe) as a base to show the area around the front of the June 27th lava flow. The area of the flow on October 25, 2014, at 5:00 PM is shown in pink, while widening and advancement of the flow as mapped on October 26 at 12:30 PM is shown in red. The dotted blue lines show steepest-descent paths in the area, calculated from a 1983 digital elevation model (DEM).  Source: HVO

Sulfur Dioxide Advisory Level

Related Links

• Kilauea Lava Flow Could Affect Thousands on Hawaiʻi Island  September 5, 2014
• Lava Flow from Kilauea Advancing AGAIN on Big Island Communities October 7, 2014

Mayon Volcano Update 23 December

Mayon Volcano Undergoing Strombolian Phase

Mt Mayon is believed to be in a strombolian phase (often occurs before a major eruption), say state vulcanologists.

• Lava flow has reached 5.5 km from the summit.
• There may be a series of eruptions instead of a single catastrophic explosion.
• Magma movement continues to generate continuous tremors.
• Albay residents who refuse to leave their properties may have to sign a waiver.

The following bulletin was issued by PHIVOLCS:

Mayon Volcano Bulletin 10
23 December 2009 – 7:00 AM [UTC + 8hrs]

Mayon Volcano (13.2576 N, 123.6856 E) continued to show an intense level of activity during the past 24-hour observation period. Seismic activity remained elevated in number and size as the seismic network detected 1,051 volcanic earthquakes and continuously recorded harmonic tremors. Many of these volcanic earthquakes were recorded at maximum deflection. Sixty six (66) ash explosions were observed during times of good visibility. These explosions produced grayish to light brown ash columns that reached height from 100 to 1000 meters above the summit before drifting towards southwest.

Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) emission rate remained very high and was measured at an average of 6,737 tons per day (t/d) yesterday. Two hundred eighty (280) audible booming and rumbling sounds were intermittently heard for the past 24 hours.  Red hot lava also continuously flowed down along the Bonga-Buyuan, Miisi and Lidong gullies.

Alert Level 4 remains hoisted over Mayon Volcano, meaning a hazardous eruption is possible within days.  Thus, PHIVOLCS-DOST reiterates that the Extended Danger Zone (EDZ) from the summit of 8-km on the southern sector of the volcano and 7-km on the northern sector should be free from human activity.  Areas just outside of this EDZ should prepare for evacuation in the event hazardous explosive eruptions intensify.  Active river channels and those perennially identified as lahar prone in the southern sector should also be avoided especially during bad weather conditions or when there is heavy and prolonged rainfall.  PHIVOLCS–DOST is closely monitoring Mayon Volcano’s activity and any new significant development will be immediately posted to all concerned.

For additional information click on the link below:

• Mayon Volcano Update [22 December 2009]

Related Links:

• Mayon Alert Raised to Level 4
• 76% chance Mayon explodes before 2010
• Volcano UPDATE: Mt Mayon Could Explode
• Mayon Lava in Interesting Times!
• Mayon Volcano Oozes Lava

• Strong Earthquake Strikes Mindanao, Philippines
• VolcanoWatch Weekly [11 Nov 2009]
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• Mount Mayon neighbors on evacuation alert
• Mayon Volcano Ejects Ash

• VolcanoWatch Weekly [18 Nov 2009]
• Mayon’s crater glow grows more intense
• Strong Earthquake Strikes Mindanao, Philippines
• VolcanoWatch Weekly [11 Nov 2009]
• Earth undergoing significant geophysical disturbances

• Powerful Earthquake Strikes Celebes Sea, S of Philippines
• Strong Earthquake Strikes Mindanao, Philippines
• Strong Quake Strikes Offshore Mindoro, Philippines
• Latest From TAAL and other Philippines Volcanoes
• FEWW Volcano Links

• Volcanoes
• FEWW Earthquake Links

Hawaii’s Kilauea Billows 2,500 MT of SO2

Kilauea’s Halemaumau crater billows up to 2,500 metric tons of sulfur dioxide each day

The vog (volcanic fog) billowed out from Kilauea contains large quantities of sulfur dioxide which is killing crops in the Big Island.

With stagnant winds present, Halema`uma`u plume stands straight up, showing off the distant, but bright, full moon [Photo Date: November 13, 2008 ]. Photo Credit: M. Poland; Source: USGS

The U.S. Department of Agriculture declared Hawaii County a natural disaster area, which means the farmers there could apply for low interest loans from the federal government,  a report said.

However, it’s not known what the farmers are meant to do with the money, or how they would pay it back, since there’s no agreement with Kilauea concerning the  SO2 emissions!

In reality these loans should be “relocation grants” to allow the farmers leave the Big Island (in a hurry). As of December 2009, the only indication is that there would more SO2 billowing out of Kilauea in the coming weeks, month and possibly years. That situation could change, of course, but the farmers shouldn’t put too much hope in that.

“We can wash our trucks in the morning and in the afternoon you rub your hand across the top of the truck and it feels like sand paper,” said Phil Becker who, together with his wife, own  Aikane Plantation Coffee Company on the southern part of Big Island.

The Beckers previously grew and sold protea, however, vog has destroyed their plants.

“We’ve only got about three plants left after about 181 is what we started with and we’ve only got three that are trying to survive. It’s also impacted our cattle as far as the grass not recovering the way it usually does,” Phil Becker was reported as saying.

These days the Beckers are focusing their efforts on growing coffee … and even that is suffering. This year’s crop is about a third the size of a normal crop.

Not only So2 reacts with moisture in the air to give extremely corrosive sulfurous acid, which covers the leaves and stalks of plants, killing them, the deadly gas molecules also block the sun as they permeate the stratosphere and prevent needed sunshine from reaching the crops.

Kilauea Status Reports, Updates, and Information Releases

Aerial view of Pu`u `Ō `ō and vicinity

July 21 Eruption Near-view Map: November 25, 2009

Map showing the July 21, 2007 eruption flow field. The Thanksgiving Eve Breakout (TEB) flow is currently active and is that portion of the July 21, 2007 eruption flow field that extends south from the TEB vent to the ocean. Light red is the area of the flow as of November 7, 2009, while the bright red shows the flow field expansion that occurred between November 7 and November 25. Source of Image and Caption: HVO

HVO DAILY UPDATE Tuesday, December 1, 2009 7:47 AM HST (Tuesday, December 1, 2009 17:47 UTC)

KILAUEA VOLCANO (CAVW #1302-01-)
Coordinates: 19°25’16” N 155°17’13” W
Summit Elevation 4091 ft (1247 m)
Current Aviation Color Code: ORANGE
Current Volcano Alert Level: WATCH

Activity Summary for past 24 hours: Kilauea continued to erupt from two vents. At the summit, a lava pond was visible for several hours before draining and crusting over. Sulfur dioxide emission rates from the Halema`uma`u and east rift zone vents remain elevated. From the east rift zone vent, lava flows through tubes to the coast and is entering the ocean at several locations west of Kalapana.

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Other Related Links:

• U.S. Volcano Status Map
• Elevated Activity Page
• U.S. Volcano Webcams

Week 31 Volcano Watch

30 July-5 August 2008

Breaking News:

Color Code Purple

Recent activity at the Kilauea volcano has increased atmospheric levels of sulfur dioxide in the districts of Kau and Puna, Hawaii, resulting in a spike of sulfur of 9 parts per million, which is considered to be extremely high. (Source)

New Activity/Unrest:

• Anatahan, Mariana Islands (Central Pacific)
• Chikurachki, Paramushir Island
• Cleveland, Chuginadak Island
• Llaima, Central Chile
• Manam, Northeast of New Guinea (SW Pacific)
• Okmok, Fox Islands
• Reventador, Ecuador
• Sumbing, Central Java (Indonesia)

Kilauea volcano eruption. Photo dated July 14. 2008. Copyright: Steven and Donna O’Meara. Source: HawaiiMagazine.com. See Fair Use Notice!

Ongoing Activity:

• Batu Tara, Komba Island (Indonesia)
• Chaitén, Southern Chile
• Fuego, Guatemala
• Karymsky, Eastern Kamchatka
• Kilauea, Hawaii (USA)
• Rabaul, New Britain
• Semeru, Eastern Java (Indonesia)
• Shiveluch, Central Kamchatka (Russia)
• Tungurahua, Ecuador

[The Weekly Volcanic Activity Report is a cooperative project between the Smithsonian’s Global Volcanism Program and the US Geological Survey’s Volcano Hazards Program.]