January 2010 Update; Volcano Awareness Month on the Big Island, Hawaii

Summary: During January, Volcano Awareness Month, the Big Island's volcano Kilauea, continues to erupt and put on displays for visitors.

Kilauea volcano continues to awe visitors, both in the Volcano National Park's Halema`uma`u Crater and at the Kalapana Viewing Site outside the Park while Hawaii County kicks off the new year with Volcano Awareness Month.

Volcano Month
To help promote understanding and respect for the volcanoes that form our Hawaiian Islands, the County of Hawaii (Big Island) declared January as Volcano Awareness Month. The USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO), Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, the University of Hawai'i at Hilo and Hawai'i County Civil Defense coordinated to sponsor a slew of volcanic events.

Ironically, Volcano Month's kickoff event on January 2 inside the National Park had to be canceled due to high levels of sulfur dioxide spewed from Halema`uma`u Crater. Events scheduled throughout the month include special programs, movies, guided hikes, art classes that focus on the volcano, vog information, and special evening talks. Most of these activities are held inside the National Park. View the event calendar and get more details at the Hawaii Volcano Observatory page at the USGS site.


Halema`uma`u Crater at the National Park.

With road closures around Halema`uma`u due to the eruption with its steam, ash and sometimes far flung rocks, the best view is from the lanai (patio) of the Jaggar Museum. In the daytime, you will likely see steam and ash, but night time visitors are often rewarded with a glow that is created by the lava that bubbles and sloshes deep within in the pit of the crater. The levels of the sulfur dioxide emitted from the crater often change, and the National Park Service provides updates every few minutes .

Those on the Windward (east) side of the Big Island have had less vog this week, thanks to the return of the tradewinds that carry the sulfur laden plume southwest over the towns of and onward to Kona. Southwesterly winds are expected tonight, which means vog for the windward side and a breath of fresh air for the south and leewards sides of the Big Island.

Kalapana Viewing Site
Here at the Civil Defense managed site, visitors can sometimes see the lava entering the sea and/or flowing over the pali (cliffs) on its way to the ocean, or that is in the places where it travels above ground. The site is located at the end of Highway 130 in Kalapana. More details in my last post.

If you go:
Directions to the Kalapana Viewing Site.
For daily update provided by the Volcano National Park service, focusing on Halaema`uma`u Crater in the Park, call (808) 985-6000 For daily update for conditions and lava flow visibility at the Kalapana Viewing area, call (808) 961-8093.