Ka‘ū News Briefs, Sunday, December 15, 2019

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     Neither Kīlauea nor Mauna Loa erupted in 2019, but this period of relative quiet must not lead to complacency about Hawaiʻi's two most active volcanoes. Both will eventually erupt again.

Santa hat singers of season joy. Photo by Julia Neal

     Given this fact, Hawaiʻi residents should stay informed and be prepared for the hazards posed by a restless or erupting volcano. As we all learned from Kīlauea's 2018 eruption, the possible impacts—lava flows, ground cracks, poor air quality, evacuations, road closures, and others—can be far-reaching and life-changing.

      Volcano Awareness Month, held every January since 2010, is one way that residents can learn more about the volcanoes that both inspire and concern us all. In January 2020, informative and engaging talks and hikes on Hawaiian volcanoes will be offered by USGS HVO in cooperation with Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo, and Hawaiʻi County Civil Defense. All are free and open to the public; Park entrance fees may apply.

     The complete schedule of Volcano Awareness Month programs, including dates, times, locations, and brief descriptions for the talks and hikes offered in January, is posted on HVO's website, volcanoes.usgs.gov/hvo/ under "HVO News" in the lower left corner of the homepage, at volcanoes.usgs.gov/vsc/file_mngr/file-236/2020%20VAM%20Schedule_Talks%20and%20Hikes.pdf, and in future Kaʻū News Briefs.

     For now, here's a brief overview of the January 2020 schedule:

Carols fill the air in Nāʻālehu. Photo by Julia Neal

     HVO scientists will present After Dark in the Park programs every Tuesday evening throughout the month in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. Topics addressed in these talks include a recap of HVO's current situation since relocating to Hilo and what its future may hold, as well as updates on Kīlauea and Mauna Loa on Jan. 7; what's happening at Kīlauea Volcano's summit and the crater lake within Halema‘uma‘u on Jan. 14; insight from ongoing research and monitoring on Kīlauea's lower East Rift Zone on Jan. 21; and the unprecedented level of seismicity that occurred in 2018 on Jan. 28. Each program starts at 7 p.m. in the Kīlauea Visitor Center auditorium.
     UH-Hilo main campus in the University Classroom Building (UCB) Room 100 will host two talks. At 7 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 9, is a repeat of the January 7 After Dark in the Park program on HVO's status and volcano updates. The second program on Thursday, Jan. 16 will describe how lava samples collected from erupting fissures in 2018 have revealed the complex story of magma that fed the eruption.

Sacred Heart Church of Nāʻālehu draws youth members to participate. Photo by Julia Neal

     On the Kona side of the island, a presentation about damaging earthquakes in Hawaiʻi, including the dramatic seismicity in 2018, and how to prepare for the next "big one" will be offered twice on Wednesday, Jan. 8. The talk will be first presented at the Kona Public Library at 3:30 p.m. and then repeated at the West Hawaiʻi Civic Center at 6 p.m.

Kaʻū Auto Parts truck draped in lights. Photo by Julia Neal

     Programs about Mauna Loa, Earth's largest active volcano, will be offered in two locations. On Wednesday, Jan. 29, an HVO scientist will talk about the current status and eruptive history of the volcano at the Puʻuhonua O Hōnaunau National Historical Park amphitheater at 6 p.m. On Thursday, Jan. 30, an HVO will team with Civil Defense to provide information about Mauna Loa—its current status, potential hazards, how to prepare for the next eruption, and more—in the Ocean View Community Center at 6 p.m.

     The 2020 line-up also includes a number of hikes in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park guided by HVO scientists and Park rangers. These hikes include treks through Kīlauea Iki, walks through Kīlauea Volcano's summit history, a look at the 1868 Mauna Loa lava flow on a trail in the Park's Kahuku Unit, and a venture back to the 1969-74 Mauna Ulu eruption.

Christmas joy on wheels in Nāʻālehu. Photo by Julia Neal

     HVO spearheads Volcano Awareness Month each January because we realize the importance of understanding the spectacular volcanoes on which we live and of being prepared for the next eruption. We hope our 2020 programs will be just the start of your quest to learn more about our volcanic island home.
    If you're unable to attend the Volcano Awareness Month talks and hikes, you can learn and stay informed about Hawaiian volcanoes through HVO's website. There, you will find volcano updates, monitoring data, geologic histories for

     Kīlauea Volcano is not erupting and its USGS Volcano Alert level remains at NORMAL. Monitoring data showed no significant changes in activity over the past month. Seismicity was relatively consistent with some episodic increased rates at the summit coincident with inflation. Sulfur dioxide emission rates are low at the summit and below detection limits at Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō and the lower East Rift Zone. The water lake at the bottom of Halema‘uma‘u continues to slowly expand and deepen.

First Miss Kaʻū Coffee Peaberry Princess, Kendall Haddock.  Photo by Julia Neal

     Mauna Loa is not erupting. Its USGS Volcano Alert level remains at ADVISORY. This alert level does not mean that an eruption is imminent or that progression to an eruption is certain.

     This past week, about 90 small-magnitude earthquakes – all less than M2.0 – were detected beneath the upper elevations of Mauna Loa. Deformation measurements show continued summit inflation. Fumarole temperature and gas concentrations on the Southwest Rift Zone remain stable.

     One earthquake with three or more felt reports occurred on Hawaiʻi Island this past week: a magnitude-2.4 quake 27 km (17 mi) east of Hōnaunau-Nāpōʻopoʻo at -2 km (-1 mi) depth on Dec. 11 at 11:10 a.m.

     HVO continues to closely monitor both Kīlauea and Mauna Loa for any signs of increased activity. 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.

Hot truck wears Christmas stockings. Photo by Julia Neal

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     Cornelia Anguay, one of the planners of the Sakada Day event, says, "As the few remaining Sakadas leave this Earth, we call on the next generation to recover and connect to the sakada history, as we create our path towards the future. We invite young people and descendants of the sakadas to come and connect to this heritage."
     Organizers ask anoyone who knows a sakada to call 808-987-8284.

Miss Kaʻū Coffee Peaberry Princess, Lilianna Marques.  Photo by Julia Neal

     The celebration, organized by the Sakada Committee, honors the first Filipino economic migrants who came to Hawaiʻi to work at the sugarcane plantations. The Sakadas were instrumental in establishing a vibrant Filipino community in Hawaiʻi and in fighting for workers rights, dignity, and unionized plantation labor.  During the event, sakadas will be honored and recognized with traditional songs, dances, food, certificates, and congratulatory messages.

     A total of 126,000 Filipino workers worked in Hawaiʻi’s sugarcane plantations. The first 15 Sakadas arrived in Hawaiʻi in 1906 and the last 6,000 workers arrived in 1946. From 1906 to 1946, the estimated number of Sakadas in Hawaiʻi was around 126,000.

     On the Sakada Day website, sakadahawaii.wordpress.com, Belinda A. Aquino, PhD Former Director, Center for Philippine Studies, states that "Filipinos have come here since 1906. During the plantation era and until now. They come in big numbers. To the point that the latest census will show you that the Filipinos are now the biggest Asian group in Hawaiʻi."

     Kaʻū boasts two living Sakadas: Leovegildo "Hildo" Mercado and Prudencio Tayamen. Both men, now in their 90s, came to Hawai‘i in 1946. They are among the many Filipino immigrants who helped build Hawaiʻi agriculture, from pineapple and sugar to Ka‘ū Coffee.

Second Miss Kaʻū Coffee Peaberry Princess, Helen Miranda. Photo by Julia Neal

     Mercado sailed from Salomague Port in Cabugao, Illocos Sur, Philippines, sister city to Hawaiʻi County. He worked with pineapple on Lana‘i before transferring to Ka‘ū, where he started in the fire room, then became a fuel driver, and later a cane drier. Retired, he "can be seen driving around Pāhala, frequenting cock fights, hunting, and growing vegetables, which he generously shares with his neighbors" notes the event program from last year's Pāhala Sakada Day.

     Tayamen came from Laoag, Illocos Norte, Philippines. He worked at Halakalu Plantation, north of Hilo, then moved to O‘ahu to become a stevedore. In Ka‘ū, he was a seedcutter at Hutchinson and Ka‘ū Sugar until he retired. He has four sons, four daughters, 24 grandchildren and 30 great-grandchildren.
     Sakada Day 2019 Celebration paves a way in tracing the history of Filipinos in Hawaiʻi, acknowledging the hard work and sacrifices of the Sakadas, and educating the young Filipino generations in Hawaiʻi about their past. For more information about the event, contact Francis Dumanig at fdumanig@hawaii.edu and Jeanne Batallones at jbatallo@hawaii.edu.