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| Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park announced 17 fee-free days in the New Year, its centennial. See more below. NPS Photo by David Boyle |
WILL THE STATE PAY Department of Hawaiian Home Lands about $19 million that Hawai`i Supreme Court said it owes? “We are working with the attorney general’s office to understand the court ruling, and once we are clear about what our obligations are, we will be submitting a supplemental request to the Legislature,” Gov. David Ige said during a press conference this week.
Ige also told Honolulu Star-Advertiser, “I am not aware of any other court being able to direct the Legislature or the executive to appropriate specific amounts.” David Kimo Frankel, who filed suit against the state in 2007, said that the state has to comply with the court’s instructions. “The order is very clear on what they need to do,” Frankel told reporter Sophie Cocke. “There is no question. It is an order – it is a court order.”
Cocke reported that the court found that the state is required to fund DHHL’s expenses as written into the state Constitution.
See staradvertiser.com.
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THE BLUE ZONE HEALTH INITIATIVE encourages people to plan for better health during the holidays as the New Year approaches. The program for Ka`u and East Hawai`i offers a Daily Challenge for wellness management and cautions, “When it comes to health and well-being, we often set unrealistic goals that feel overwhelming. Instead of trying to lose 50 pounds, or achieve instant happiness, why not try a different approach – one that’s a little more manageable? The Daily Challenge can help you positively impact your life and advance your personal well-being by suggesting small actions you can accomplish every day.”
In addition to allowing the keeping of a personal health improvement record, the Daily Challenge will “help you connect with the people in your life who will hold you accountable and cheer you on toward better health. These people are your Right Tribe. The Daily Challenge makes it easy to connect your tribe and to share successes and best practices that can help inspire and empower those most important to you. Together, you can turn everyday choices into everyday victories. Sign up for the Daily Challenge today!”
The website also offers the Gallup Healthways Well Being Index to assess an individuals health status. See hmsa.com/wbc.
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The website also offers the Gallup Healthways Well Being Index to assess an individuals health status. See hmsa.com/wbc.
Read comments, add your own, and like The Ka`u Calendar News Briefs on Facebook.
AMERICAN GEOPHYSICAL UNION’S 2015 fall meeting, the largest annual Earth and space science meeting in the world, is the topic of the current issue of Volcano Watch. Last week, nearly 24,000 scientists from the U.S. and abroad met in San Francisco for the meeting.
“The five-day event was filled from morning to night with more than 23,000 talks and poster presentations and 300 technical exhibits and demonstrations of new scientific tools and publications, as well as networking opportunities and a multitude of sidebar meetings,” the article states. “Attendees exchanged ideas, heard recent discoveries, debated evidence and defined new directions for research.
“A number of USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists attended the meeting to present information ranging from summaries of recent activity at Hawaiian volcanoes to results of their research on various volcanic topics. They were joined by other USGS and university co-workers who are investigating many aspects of Hawaiian volcanology, often in direct collaboration with HVO.
“Several HVO talks and posters dealt with the Halema`uma`u Crater lava lake. One presentation offered insights into how and why the lake transitions from times of quiet lava upwelling and circulation to periods of unstable lava spattering (one explanation is rockfalls). Other lava lake studies examined how rockfalls influence seismicity and what this can tell us about the properties of magma within the conduit.
“Current and former HVO staff presented analyses of the April – May 2015 lava lake overflows within Halema`uma`u and the coincident deformation and seismicity within Kilauea’s summit and upper rift zones. Scientists were able to discern transfer of magma from the shallow Halema`uma`u reservoir into a south caldera magma storage area. Further analyses will provide new insights into how Kilauea’s magma plumbing system behaves. Another HVO poster showed how the current location of magma under Kilauea’s summit is inconsistent with where magma resided in the past.
“HVO’s long-term monitoring of Kilauea gas emissions was also featured at the meeting. This included a discussion of the possibility that the Pu`u `O`o eruption might be waning based on lowered sulfur dioxide gas emissions and analyses of sulfur preserved in melt inclusions within olivine crystals. How this long-term trend relates to Kilauea’s summit gas emissions, which are still quite elevated, is the subject of ongoing study.
“A number of USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists attended the meeting to present information ranging from summaries of recent activity at Hawaiian volcanoes to results of their research on various volcanic topics. They were joined by other USGS and university co-workers who are investigating many aspects of Hawaiian volcanology, often in direct collaboration with HVO.
“Several HVO talks and posters dealt with the Halema`uma`u Crater lava lake. One presentation offered insights into how and why the lake transitions from times of quiet lava upwelling and circulation to periods of unstable lava spattering (one explanation is rockfalls). Other lava lake studies examined how rockfalls influence seismicity and what this can tell us about the properties of magma within the conduit.
“Current and former HVO staff presented analyses of the April – May 2015 lava lake overflows within Halema`uma`u and the coincident deformation and seismicity within Kilauea’s summit and upper rift zones. Scientists were able to discern transfer of magma from the shallow Halema`uma`u reservoir into a south caldera magma storage area. Further analyses will provide new insights into how Kilauea’s magma plumbing system behaves. Another HVO poster showed how the current location of magma under Kilauea’s summit is inconsistent with where magma resided in the past.
“HVO’s long-term monitoring of Kilauea gas emissions was also featured at the meeting. This included a discussion of the possibility that the Pu`u `O`o eruption might be waning based on lowered sulfur dioxide gas emissions and analyses of sulfur preserved in melt inclusions within olivine crystals. How this long-term trend relates to Kilauea’s summit gas emissions, which are still quite elevated, is the subject of ongoing study.
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| Kilauea's summit lava lake, including this explosion triggered by falling rocks on May 3, 2015, was one of many topics HVO scientists discussed at the meeting. Photo from USGS |
“Two presentations addressed explosive and effusive cycles at Kilauea, an important aspect of the volcano’s long-term history with implication for hazards. The studies represent two different ways of looking at the issue: geochemical lab analyses of tiny crystals in volcanic ash and field examinations of the relationship and characteristics of tephra deposits. Convergence of insights from these disparate approaches is accelerating our understanding of important questions, such as what controls Kilauea’s eruptive cycles and how we might know a transition is coming.
“The use of new technology to study volcanoes was also presented at the meeting. University of Hawai`i at Hilo scientists demonstrated the use of UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) to monitor pahoehoe emplacement and inflation. Another team reported on kite-based imaging and analysis of the 1974 Kilauea lava flow.
“Other scientists shared results from laboratory experiments to simulate lava flows, magma motion and the explosive expulsion of gas and lava from a vent, all documented with high-definition, high-speed video. Using materials that closely replicate the properties of magma and its gas bubbles, these experiments approximate what is actually happening inside an erupting vent or lava flow – places otherwise inaccessible.
“Other scientists shared results from laboratory experiments to simulate lava flows, magma motion and the explosive expulsion of gas and lava from a vent, all documented with high-definition, high-speed video. Using materials that closely replicate the properties of magma and its gas bubbles, these experiments approximate what is actually happening inside an erupting vent or lava flow – places otherwise inaccessible.
“Several HVO and UH-Manoa poster presentations dealt with the 2014-2015 Pahoa lava flow crisis. Each discussed how scientists conveyed hazard information to emergency managers and the public. Hazard communicators from other fields (earthquake, tsunami, weather) were interested in the Pahoa experience and how HVO’s communication efforts might be applied to other hazardous events.
“The AGU meeting also involves recognizing extraordinary careers of scientific achievement. This year, former HVO scientist Dan Dzurisin, now at the USGS Cascades Volcano Observatory, was honored for his decades-long research on volcano deformation.
“Why do scientists spend a week listening and talking to each other from dawn to dusk? Recent and cutting-edge information, most of it not yet published, is presented at the AGU meeting, creating an atmosphere of excitement, discovery and camaraderie among scientists that is highly stimulating. HVO participants always come away with new ideas and renewed enthusiasm for understanding Hawaiian volcanism and its hazards.”
“The AGU meeting also involves recognizing extraordinary careers of scientific achievement. This year, former HVO scientist Dan Dzurisin, now at the USGS Cascades Volcano Observatory, was honored for his decades-long research on volcano deformation.
“Why do scientists spend a week listening and talking to each other from dawn to dusk? Recent and cutting-edge information, most of it not yet published, is presented at the AGU meeting, creating an atmosphere of excitement, discovery and camaraderie among scientists that is highly stimulating. HVO participants always come away with new ideas and renewed enthusiasm for understanding Hawaiian volcanism and its hazards.”
See hvo.wr.usgs.gov/volcanowatch.
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DRAW FROM NATURE in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park on Tuesday from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. Ken Charon teaches how to gain inspiration from the natural environment of Kilauea in this free instructional outing.
The class meets at Volcano Art Center Gallery before heading to a scenic are to witness the creative forces of Kilauea and develop the ability to capture its unique natural beauty.
Sign-up is on a first-come, first-served basis the day of the class. Bring a sketchpad, pencils, eraser and sharpener.
Park entrance fees apply. For more information, call 967-7565, or see volcanoartcenter.org.
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DRAW FROM NATURE in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park on Tuesday from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. Ken Charon teaches how to gain inspiration from the natural environment of Kilauea in this free instructional outing.
The class meets at Volcano Art Center Gallery before heading to a scenic are to witness the creative forces of Kilauea and develop the ability to capture its unique natural beauty.
Sign-up is on a first-come, first-served basis the day of the class. Bring a sketchpad, pencils, eraser and sharpener.
Park entrance fees apply. For more information, call 967-7565, or see volcanoartcenter.org.
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| Kilauea Iki Trail is popular for visitors and kama`aina. NPS Photo by Janice Wei |
THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE turns 100 years old in 2016, and so does Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. All national parks will waive entrance fees on 16 special days in 2016, and Hawai`i Volcanoes will offer one additional fee-free day to celebrate its 100th birthday on Aug. 1, 2016.
The 17 fee-free days in 2016 are:
See nps.gov/havo.
SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS AT PAHALAPLANTATIONCOTTAGES.COM AND KAUCOFFEEMILL.COM. KA`U COFFEE MILL IS OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.
- Jan. 18 – Martin Luther King, Jr. Day;
- April 16-24 – National Park Week (nine fee-free days);
- Aug. 1 – Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park 100th birthday;
- Aug. 25-28 – National Park Service Birthday Weekend (four fee-free days;
- Sept. 24 – National Public Lands Day; and
- Nov. 11 – Veterans Day.
See nps.gov/havo.
SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS AT PAHALAPLANTATIONCOTTAGES.COM AND KAUCOFFEEMILL.COM. KA`U COFFEE MILL IS OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.
