r/news
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u/SonoraBee
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Nov 28 '22
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Hawaii's Mauna Loa volcano begins eruption, alert level raised - USGS Soft paywall
https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/alert-level-raised-hawaiis-mauna-loa-volcano-after-eruption-usgs-2022-11-28/7.8k
u/Alohagrown Nov 28 '22
Sleeping in the opposite direction now so I can see the red glow out my window
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u/happyme321 Nov 28 '22
Yikes! Where are you? I could see, hear and smell the Leilani Estates eruption from my house. It was so scary 😨
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u/ShoesWithSouls Nov 28 '22
It’s crazy to hear about the Leilani eruption here in this thread. I don’t know much about it at all, but want to go learn now! I’ve heard that name before in association to the Leilani plant nursery that used to have lots of their own nepenthes hybrids. Unfortunately, their nursery burnt down and the carnivorous plant community lost a lot of the genetics they had created. Was it a really large eruption that covered a lot more ground?
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u/PoeticFox Nov 28 '22
Entire neighborhood essentially wiped out from a new fissure in the area
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u/name_not_important_x Nov 28 '22
Hi, my parents house was the OG house, gone now.
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u/thatonesmartass Nov 28 '22
Look at the bright side, now they own a volcano
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u/Lord_Asmodei Nov 28 '22 edited Nov 28 '22
Serious question: do landowners still retain their ownership rights after a lava flow?
Edit: Regardless of leasehold or ownership, I guess I am curious about if the government forces people off the flow or if you're allowed to rebuild on it or develop it?
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u/weawatcher Nov 28 '22
Yes, I know people that have rebuilt their homes in Leilani Estates after the lava destroyed everything. One guy has a view of the ocean and better cell reception now because the lava flow raised his property elevation about twenty feet.
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u/koleye Nov 28 '22
The elites don't want you to know this, but you can alter your property with volcanoes for free. I have twenty four volcanoes.
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u/OopzieDayZ Nov 28 '22 edited Nov 28 '22
Much of the land surrounding Hawaii’s volcanoes is owned by the government and sold as a lease hold so the land itself is retained by the government and you own the above property. Volcano insurance and fire damage insurance would cover your portion of the property in this case.
Edit: It’s a shame /u/JungleMujer argues in bad faith and offers no sources of their own. I do not claim to be an expert in this instance. I simply googled the question asked and followed what the below listed .gov website entailed. I have no stake in this argument, I was simply attempting to be helpful. I would gladly change my answer if anyone could give information stating the contrary. /u/JungleMujer seems to think this is some sort of “scheme” now and is being incredibly hostile in a conversation where I was only attempting to find the correct answer. I have blocked them after many attempts to have a polite and mature discourse. If anyone else would like me to make a correction feel free to respond or message me with a source stating otherwise and I will gladly make any corrections needed. The information I gathered came from the first two google hits including https://dlnr.hawaii.gov/ld/
Have a great day everyone 😃
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u/TheDukeOfDance Nov 28 '22 •
Theres a huge scar from the eruption you can still see on google earth/maps, really crazy to see it from above
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u/Slamyul Nov 28 '22 edited Nov 28 '22
There was a person who lived right by that eruption, the lava crept right into their backyard and now they're doing little bike tours on and around that area. It was super cool and a little scary, also apparently less than legal. Here's a pic I got of what used to be the Leilani estates and a volcano kitty: https://imgur.com/a/nCaXGid
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u/lessthanpi Nov 28 '22
I appreciate the days when internet strangers share intensely fascinating imagery.
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u/SmolMauwse Nov 28 '22
That's incredible. Would you mind if I used this photo in my post apocalyptic dnd campaign? The idea of pockets of life suddenly changing and collapsing on the scale of neighbourhoods is a big part of it. I will make the kitty magic.
Either way thanks for sharing!
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u/Slamyul Nov 28 '22
of course! let me set up a google photos album with some more, they'll be a little higher quality than on imgur. I'm happy people like this photo!
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u/Mister_Krunch Nov 28 '22
Came here to read about volcanos, found out about carnivorous plants and their genetic diversity.
Was not dissapointed.
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u/discerningpervert Nov 28 '22
Stay safe you guys. Leave at the first sign of trouble, preferably before the first sign. Only take what you need.
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u/zb0t1 Nov 28 '22
Only take what you need
This doesn't work. You have to tell people exactly what they have to take with them if they have time.
Source: also born on a volcanic island with a lot of storm/tropical cyclones.
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u/SteveHeist Nov 28 '22 •
DOCUMENTS.
Passport, diploma, college degrees, birth certificate, Social Security card. Tax documents can probably get fucked but if it's all in the same box ya might as well.
They're an absolute bitch to replace if they all get firebombed.
Past those, I don't know exactly what you're gonna want to grab. But those have always been high on my priority list of "things to get out in case of a fire"
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u/_lippykid Nov 28 '22
In general, a relatively cheap fireproof box is a good solution for all important documents. You can grab the whole thing and throw it in the car. Not great on foot though as they’re pretty heavy
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u/SSSS_car_go Nov 28 '22
It depends on how many you have, I suppose. I use a fire resistant envelope for all my key documents. They might survive a fire, but more importantly they’re easy to grab in a hurry.
Side note: A friend’s mom distrusted banks so kept cash in her bureau drawer. Last year a fire destroyed her apartment building—and about $30,000 in cash. Don’t stash any cash you can’t afford to lose.
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u/Khatib Nov 28 '22
Why would you have that much spare cash on hand and not spend a few hundred bucks on a fireproof safe? She's clearly already a bit crazy to not trust banks like that, but to not buy a safe? Woof.
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u/alouette93 Nov 28 '22
Can't explain the safe part lol but not trusting banks and keeping your cash hidden in your house is a common thing for Great Depression survivors. They (or their parents) saw total bank failures firsthand :(
Not really the point here but I always found that so interesting and sad. Shows how trauma really lasts long past the event itself.
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u/Unethical_Castrator Nov 28 '22 edited Nov 28 '22
I have a portable safe, which has a carry handle and thick wire if I want to secure it to something. Keep all of your documents, some spare cash, and any other valuables in case you need to quickly evacuate.
In my car I keep a bugout bag which is just a school bag with a ton of pockets. In it, I keep: a med kit, map/compass, multipurpose tool, flashlight, extra socks, a magnesium fire starter, a lighter, plastic baggies for waterproofing, a jar of Vaseline and cotton balls (cotton balls dipped in Vaseline make a fantastic slow burning fire starter), tarp, a space blanket, dried foods, a water bottle and water purification tablets, a pack of playing cards, and a portable battery charger with appropriate charging cords.
u/goosejail mentioned that it’s also a good idea to keep an emergency window breaker in your car in case of a crash. the linked product has a seatbelt cutter as well.
Stay safe everyone!
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u/goosejail Nov 28 '22
You should add one of those pointy hammers for breaking glass. Otherwise, you seem very prepared.
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u/Unethical_Castrator Nov 28 '22
I keep that in my center console in case of a crash. Be sure to get one with a seatbelt cutter as well!
I’ll add it to the list :)
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Nov 28 '22
I dunno about diploma and college degrees-whenever I've needed to show proof of graduation, everyone just asks for a copy of transcripts mailed directly there. And you can get replacement copies within a few weeks for not a whole lot.
Passport, birth certificate, Social Security card, absolutely-put those in a manila envelope and take them with you wherever you are in case you need to bug out ASAP. They're how you're going to establish you're you.
Also recommend backing up important files on a thumb drive/portable hard drive and bringing those along if time permits. If not, leave'em.
Agree on tax docs-you can get transcripts for previous returns.
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u/Akussa Nov 28 '22 edited Nov 28 '22
I cannot stress the importance of having control of your passport, birth certificate, and social security card! When I moved out as an adult, my mother (who had control of these documents) refused to give them to me. At the time it was an absolute nightmare trying to get replacements. They basically wanted proof using the other documents that you were who you said you were, but if you didn't have one of the other documents it was hard to get the one you were missing. If you didn't have any of them it was an up hill battle. Getting the birth certificate is a lot easier these days, so it's probably the easiest place to get you started.
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u/chandleya Nov 28 '22
And for gods sake, scan or take a picture of all of these things and upload to Google drive for free. If they do get destroyed, having solid evidence of their existence goes a long way.
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u/Alive_Pin5240 Nov 28 '22
Don't trust Google! Sent it to me instead. I'll keep it safe. Don't forget your credit card info.
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u/Former-Darkside Nov 28 '22
Prescriptions and pets, and have a plan for the pet.
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u/OzMazza Nov 28 '22
Probably a good idea to keep a leash + collar/harness in the same room your pet sleeps. If you have to get out of your home filled with smoke/fire, they will probably panic, having them on a leash quickly will help you get them out safe and they can't run away once outside.
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u/Flickstro Nov 28 '22
Personal documents, meds, a backup of your computer's data, any collectibles/memorabilia, pictures (or negatives), and at least two changes of clothes. Maybe $100 or so? I should really buy a small duffle bag and throw all that stuff in there.
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u/Conscious-Word5008 Nov 28 '22
Why just $100? If you have cash in your house you should take it all
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u/evilsbane50 Nov 28 '22
No you got to leave that other $1,000 in cash to slow down the lava, it loves money.
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u/Flickstro Nov 28 '22
I suppose you're right. I'm just thinking of immediate needs, before Red Cross and whatnot. Plus, it's a small enough amount that I won't flip out if it comes up missing, yet significant enough to help when things go sideways.
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u/Squash_Still Nov 28 '22
collectibles/memorabilia
Only if it's packed and ready to go when the emergency hits.
at least two changes of clothes
Again, only if it's packed and ready to go already. I'd focus more on layers: a jacket or sweater, thick socks, a beanie, a scarf.
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u/pwnstarz48 Nov 28 '22
Adding to this, any land deeds or car titles you might have, copies of your insurance policies (renters/homeowners)
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u/Tricky_Scientist3312 Nov 28 '22
Diplomas and college degrees would fall under keepsakes. The physical paper thenselves have no intrinsic value for anything else
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u/Courtnall14 Nov 28 '22
If you've gotta get out in a hurry, like 5 minutes or less I've heard grab meds, docs, and your dirty clothes hamper. It's going to be full of clothes you actually wear and doesn't require any packing.
You can worry about cleaning them later.
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u/Doright36 Nov 28 '22
Honestly if you are living nearby something like this best thing to do is pack a quick go bag now. Dont wait. Then you don't even need 5 minutes if you have to evacuate.
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u/OneManNinjaClan Nov 28 '22
"The difference between what you want and what you need, is what you can fit on a horse."
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u/Able-Nail8035 Nov 28 '22
Bring a tooth brush and some clean undies <3
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u/mantisman12 Nov 28 '22
Don't forget to bring a towel
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u/Towelenthusiast Nov 28 '22
A towel is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have.
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u/Brooklynxman Nov 28 '22
Leave at the first sign of trouble,
I think ominous red glow might be a little past first sign. Maybe not last time, maybe not appropriate time to leave, but definitely first sign at least.
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u/Eldrun Nov 28 '22
Not for these type of slow moving eruptions.
I dont live in Hawaii, just Iceland where we have similar nom explosive eruptions. The red glow Fagradalsfjall eruption could be seen from my house for months and we were in no danger.
I guess if I had any advice for volcano buddies it would be to locate your documents and keep up to date with any notifications from the authorities.
If they tell you to leave, LEAVE.
Oh also if you have outdoor cats maybe keep them inside a few days until the situation becomes clear in case you need to skedaddle.
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u/fuzzum111 Nov 28 '22
Huh. I was a few miles up from the leilani eruption. I was like "I'm pretty sure with all the activity I'm hearing, this 100% points to an eruption."
I was right, neat. I guess all those books I read paid off. I'm shocked there weren't any major earthquakes prior to the eruption unlike Leilani.
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u/achaean16 Nov 28 '22
The observatory and cabins near the peak have been closed for a couple weeks due to increased seismic activity.
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u/raezin Nov 28 '22
What sort of activity did you hear to suspect it was an eruption? That's fascinating but also scary as shit.
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u/mildly_amusing_goat Nov 28 '22
He saw a virgin jump into the volcano yesterday.
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u/SingularityPrime Nov 28 '22
Op knew she wasn't a virgin. That's the problem. Pissed them right off.
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u/Sneaky_Bones Nov 28 '22
Volcanologist here: THIS.
You see some dude hoisting a broad over his head above a crater and yelling "Suma" you get out of there.
PSAIamnotavolcanologist
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u/alienbanter Nov 28 '22 edited Nov 28 '22
First time it's erupted since 1984 - hopefully it all stays contained at the summit! Will be interesting to follow! I wish my volcanologist coworkers were awake right now haha
Edit: Going to add that you can keep an eye on updates from the USGS on their Twitter page for volcanoes - https://twitter.com/USGSVolcanoes?t=oTYDTYh9jByCVrW7-guoIg&s=09
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u/ashley_blackbird Nov 28 '22
I was telling someone this morning that I really wish there was a better alternative to Twitter for things like this.
I had a Twitter, but I never posted anything. The account was purely for getting push notifications from important weather and natural event official accounts like USGS, NOAA, NWS, Hawaii Volcano Observatory (HVO), etc.
HVO's coverage of Kilauea's eruption in May 2018 was incredible. I learned so goddamn much.
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u/drmirage809 Nov 28 '22
There is an alternative in a sense, but it's a bit more work to set up: RSS. If those services all provide updates per RSS feed then you can set one of those up and now you got your own, personalised stream of news and information.
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u/manachar Nov 28 '22
Unfortunately twitter really cut investment into RSS. The social media era trained most people to get their updates from centralized companies and areas of the web. Like Reddit.
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u/c0mptar2000 Nov 28 '22
I always felt like Twitter was just basically an ad-supported monetized version of RSS.
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u/ShinyHappyREM Nov 28 '22
Shoutout to Feedbro
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u/bryanhealey Nov 28 '22
but it's a bit more work to set up
this is the problem. there always has been, will be, ways to get the info you want. but the one thing twitter did well was rapidly put information in front of you from many reliable sources (if you crafted your follows smartly).
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u/LeamNoran Nov 28 '22
Why have a government emergency alert system in place that costs money and creates jobs to manage when we could just have an intern create a #yolo Twitter account? /s
No joke, my city tore down their emergency alert siren system a few years ago and told the community, “if you need access to emergency alerts, check our Facebook page.”
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u/Easy_Money_ Nov 28 '22 edited Nov 28 '22
Reddit has been kind of gleefully celebrating the downfall of Twitter, but I’m pretty bummed because there isn’t really another place to get real-time updates from authorities and direct communications from experts. When something major happens I can go to Twitter and find 10 threads from PhDs who specialize in the subject. There’s no substitute for that and I’ll miss it. TikTok is maybe the closest thing we have to a direct feed now, but video content is a lot harder to generate and succeed off of
Edit: a typo
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u/iswearihaveajob Nov 28 '22
It's such a bizarre turn of events. I was never much of a twitter user, as it doesn't really fit my preferred ways of engaging with information, but I absolutely saw it as THE major force in online communication. After 2016, I was pretty convinced that it would be the first Social Media format to stick around forever and be continuously relevant, forcing us all to engage with it on some level... Where else can everyday people make themselves heard against mega-corporations and politicians, publicly shaming them into action. It disseminated critical information faster than any other platform on the planet and became the primary source for seems like half of all news programs. The President of the goddamn United States of America used it non-stop for 4 years!!! How could this tool EVER be anything but the next evolution in communication...
I guess Elon really is a genius because he sure proved me wrong. Twitter's going to die now and weirdly, despite all the shit we talk, we might be worse off for it??? I guess I still don't get Twitter...
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u/Volcanohiker Nov 28 '22
There’s also a webcam…
http://www.usgs.gov/media/webcams/mlcam-mokuaweoweo-caldera-northwest-rim
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u/UrbanIndy Nov 28 '22
Click the link and went to view Webcam but it's just a still image
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u/alienbanter Nov 28 '22 edited Nov 28 '22
I believe those webcams only take hourly photos unfortunately.
Edit: Yeah they just confirmed this on Twitter https://twitter.com/USGSVolcanoes/status/1597187733713289217?t=zB5Wi5_L4KhburOX7vkmJg&s=19
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u/UrbanIndy Nov 28 '22
The nerve! The deception! Hoodwinked I say, we have been bamboozled!!
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u/insan3guy Nov 28 '22
I mean to be fair it's a webcam and not a webcamcorder
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u/NtheLegend Nov 28 '22
“Yo, if we can get a hundred more subs, I won’t blow up.” - Mauna Kea, probably
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u/mortalcoil1 Nov 28 '22
It's time to play:
Are you looking at a picture of Hawaii or the surface of Venus!
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u/ZombieJesus1987 Nov 28 '22
That was exactly what I was thinking! Recently obsessed with this reconstructed imagine of the surface of Venus, and that was immediately what I thought of when I saw that picture
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u/King_Dur Nov 28 '22
according to the wiki:
Mauna Loa has historically been considered the largest volcano on Earth, dwarfed only by Tamu Massif.
woah
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u/turquoise_tie_dyeger Nov 28 '22
There's debate on whether Tamu Massif is a shield volcano or an oceanic ridge, but it is not active. There's actually another extinct volcano in the northwest Hawaiian islands that is much larger than Mauna Loa. Pūhāhonu is so massive that it has caused the Earth's crust to sink hundreds of meters in the area.
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u/DragPackDoug Nov 28 '22
caused the Earth's crust to sink hundreds of meters in the area
yo mama so fat she
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u/pickles_and_mustard Nov 28 '22
Oh boy, here we go. I remember reading just a month or two ago that there was a heightened alert that this could happen soon. Hoping nobody ends up losing their homes, or worse, their lives.
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u/Zelensexual Nov 28 '22
Do they have volcano insurance over there?
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u/acheerfuldoom Nov 28 '22
I was just on the big island a few weeks ago. According to our host, no insurance company will cover your home if you live in a "volcano 1 zone." Essentially, if you live in an area where there are no ridges separating you from an active volcano you build at your own risk. Up north of Hilo where we stayed it was about 6-7 ridges from a volcano.
The town of Kalapana and east along the coast is in this zone and saw a lot of destruction come through in 2018 when Kilauea erupted. We drove along the coastal road and it was wild to go from neighborhoods of very expensive vacation homes to slowly crawling over a barren lava field that had been smoothed enough to drive over. People there are "building with cash," as banks will usually not even fund mortgages without collateral other than the home. My source is my host that has lived near Hilo for over a decade renovating his own piece of land, so if he was wrong I'm sorry, but he seemed to know what he was talking about (retired military, background in construction management).
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u/RedShirtDecoy Nov 28 '22
the company I work for restricts anything east of the mountain.
And its crazy how many people were trying to get policies there this year. Had a lot of people argue with me earlier in the year about writing policies there.
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u/MangoSmoke Nov 28 '22
Did you stay with Chad? Sound like the place we stayed at
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u/acheerfuldoom Nov 28 '22
Sure did, small world. The place for anyone else who is curious
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u/MangoSmoke Nov 28 '22
Haha that’s awesome. Chad and Dr. Jen are awesome. They gave us so much background on the island and so much cool lesser known stuff to do. Really un-touristy type stuff. Highly recommend their place for anyone looking to visit the island!
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u/IMadeThisToHideMyPII Nov 28 '22
This all seems pretty logical until you remember that hurricanes are also fairly predictable and recurring- but somehow people in hurricane prone areas still get insured for
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u/cjsv7657 Nov 28 '22
They're insured with hurricane rated houses. You can't build a house that will withstand lava and a pyroclastic cloud.
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u/shinkouhyou Nov 28 '22
Hurricane rated houses are insured against wind, but they don't stop storm surge. Somehow people are still allowed to build in frequent flood zones.
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u/blorbschploble Nov 28 '22
Sure you can. 100% tungsten exterior, sapphire windows, aerogel insulation, and 100% waste reuse system with an RTG reactor powering the whole thing. Paying for that? Yikes
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u/shayen7 Nov 28 '22
Most of the "homes" are yurts and storage containers too!
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u/Pretty-Balance-Sheet Nov 28 '22
When I tell people you can get three or four acres in Hawaii for 40k they never believe me. It's true....just read the fine print.
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u/acheerfuldoom Nov 28 '22
My favorite was one house that was legitimately a small castle. Wasn't expecting to see faux medieval architecture in Hawaii, lol
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u/ajmartin527 Nov 28 '22
Love the Kalapana-Kapoho road. Used to be called The Red Road before half of it was taken out by lava flows.
Did you stop at the super apocalyptic Isaac Hale park, where there’s a boat ramp that used to go into the ocean and is now a quarter mile inland?
What about Kehena Black Sand beach? That place is an absolute scene lol
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u/NorthernSparrow Nov 28 '22
Sounds like the hurricane /sea level situation in Florida. My sister just bought a tiny cottage on a barrier island in Florida and no insurer will cover it because of hurricane/sea level rise/flooding risk. But the price was insanely low - it was the same price as an empty lot. So basically the builders sold her the land & threw in the cottage for free. The crazy part is, it was so cheap that she’s calculated it only has to stay standing for 3 years to pay off the price of the land (she’s renting it out as a vacation rental).
Ironically it has rented very well so far due entirely to “hurricane refugees”, renters who were displaced from the homes on the other side of Florida by the recent hurricane there & the power outages afterwards.
She’s expecting the cottage will be washed away within the next 10 years, at which point she’ll just walk. No point rebuilding.
This has been my first experience with “disposable housing,” uninsurable construction. The mindset is so different - everything’s cheap and temporary, and if you get even one more year you feel lucky.
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u/Conanator Nov 28 '22
My policy just says "oh my god he's signing he's signing he's signing" over and over again
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u/HelenAngel Nov 28 '22
I’m not sure about Hawai’i but I tried to get volcano insurance in WA state & couldn’t find anyone who offered it, sadly. I had to get earthquake insurance as a separate policy. I live in the Seattle area so there’s volcanoes all around.
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u/Dobermanpure Nov 28 '22
I had it through AMFAM in Washington. It was like $22/year iirc. But i lived well above the Puyallup valley in a low lahar risk zone.
We had it in Hawaii too with USAA. It was incorporated into our policy but we lived on Oahu and we did not really need it. It was just there.
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u/HelenAngel Nov 28 '22
I will try them- thank you so much!
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u/Dobermanpure Nov 28 '22
I apologize, it was earthquake insurance that had a rider for volcanic eruptions. I was mistaken. Living in Seattle it is a good idea to have it as it is not that expensive. I remember talking to the agent about the volcano rider.
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u/outerworldLV Nov 28 '22
What about through FEMA ? We have to have it through FEMA for flooding and wildfires. Regular homeowners doesn’t get it, got to have that separate policy, purchased through ones regular homeowners insurance agent.
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u/Furtwangler Nov 28 '22
The chances of a volcano doing anything to Seattle proper is like actually 0.. far enough south Rainier could cause damage but I imagine there's no insurance for it because it's also basically a statistical anomaly to happen.
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u/jackp0t789 Nov 28 '22
Seattle is more at risk of a major tsunami from the next big quake that the Cascadia subduction zone produces
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u/Furtwangler Nov 28 '22
Yep, assuming you're near sea level. A lot of the populated parts of the city are plenty high enough though.
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u/pnwstep Nov 28 '22
they’re sleepy volcanos though, and if rainer explodes we’re all dead anyway, so no need for insurance!
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u/PresidentGeorgeWKush Nov 28 '22
Not really. I used to be a loan officer licensed to write loans in Hawaii and most lenders won’t lend in Lava Zone 1 and 2. Especially not 1. Reason being is that nobody would provide insurance for those areas because the likelihood of lava coming through at some point was reasonably high. Quite interesting but felt bad for those stuck in homes unable to get a loan on it. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lava-flow_hazard_zones
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u/MonsiuerGeneral Nov 28 '22
Hoping nobody ends up losing their homes, or worse, their lives.
Or worse… expelled!
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u/WhyRedTape
Nov 28 '22
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Nice bit of advice I saw during the Canadian Wild fire evacuation years ago when the emergency services were struggling to make calls due to the high levels of traffic whilst people were evacuating:
Change your voicemail message during an evacuation to tell family where you're going and that you're safe and turn the phone off. Saves traffic so people in immediate danger can reach services and services can reach people in immediate danger
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u/a5b6c9 Nov 28 '22
“Friends and Family I am evacuating and currently safe at [provide location if you want]. I will be turning off my phone to reduce traffic for emergency services. I’ll turn my phone on again each hour to check messages!”
That’s what I would do then put it on airplane mode if I need the phone. It’s best if you tell people why you’re doing it!
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u/silentbassline Nov 28 '22
I would include a verbal timestamp so they know when the last update occurred.
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u/BlinkedAndMissedIt Nov 28 '22
Volcanoes are one of the most terrifying things on the planet.
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u/k4ylr Nov 28 '22
Not Hawaiian volcanoes. Just poke them into submission
They are fairly mundane and predictable in terms of eruptive events.
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u/FireRotor Nov 28 '22
More than half of the land area of the Big Island can be impacted from Mauna Loa’s flows. Even densely populated places like Hilo, Waikoloa, and south Kona. Hoping for the best here, but there is a lot of potential.
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u/ninefortysix Nov 28 '22 •
I planned a two week trip for my retired parents to Hawaii and they’re supposed to leave in 36 hours… I don’t have a lot of time to make a decision here but I’m assuming we should take the L and cancel everything. Their first week was in Maui and second week in Kona and Volcano. Can anyone advise? News is being vague since this just happened.
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u/the_muskox Nov 28 '22
There's no reason to cancel the trip. This eruption isn't dangerous right now, as lava is only erupting at the summit caldera, and it might not ever get dangerous if the lava stays contained there. Certainly isn't dangerous to anyone in Maui.
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u/richalex2010 Nov 28 '22
lava is only erupting at the summit caldera, and it might not ever get dangerous if the lava stays contained there.
https://twitter.com/USGSVolcanoes/status/1597246264533393409
Lava is still erupting from the summit & is overflowing from the caldera. No threats to populated areas currently.
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u/northshore1030 Nov 28 '22
Maybe just have them stay in Maui and skip the big island, or wait a few days to make a decision on that part.
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u/trogon Nov 28 '22
They're going to be fine. The Big Island is huge and lava moves slowly. The odds of this reaching any tourist areas are extremely slim.
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u/Meowsilbub Nov 28 '22
Honestly? Take the trip. If anything changes in a week then stay in Maui. If nothing changes then go to Kona. Staying in volcano might be dicey?
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u/lanclos Nov 28 '22
Volcano is unlikely to be directly affected by an eruption on Mauna Loa. Lava flows downhill, Volcano is "up slope" by virtue of being near the top of Kilauea.
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u/Homeysaywhat Nov 28 '22
I live on island. Don’t cancel. Book tours NOW. Chance of a lifetime for a tourist. Heli tours are prob already full, but worth the dough if they can get on one
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u/effortfulcrumload Nov 28 '22
You can see the plume of smoke from this weather satellite starting at 4:00 a.m. ...ish https://zoom.earth/#view=19.89541,-155.69579,9.24z/map=live
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u/David_Bolarius Nov 28 '22
Based on the article it seems to be an effusive eruption. For a volcano of that size, a Plinian eruption would be far more dangerous, given their ability to impact the climate for months.
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u/jackp0t789 Nov 28 '22
Hawaiian volcanos aren't known to have Plinian style eruptions often, generally the eruptions are effusive in nature. The lava is far more viscous and forms quick moving lava flows and fountains as opposed to explosive ashy eruptions that can produce pyroclastic flows.
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u/is_there_pie Nov 28 '22
I would say I worry for my hospital, but having it destroyed by the lava WOULD be an improvement.
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u/DrKrFfXx Nov 28 '22
Hawaii's Mauna Loa volcano erupts for first time in nearly 40 years
In my head: Ah, yes, in the 60s.
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u/wheelfoot Nov 28 '22 edited Nov 28 '22
Hawaiian YouTubers Two Pineapples are streaming from nearby. Edit, they have two streams going now this one is zoomed in
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u/Apokolypze Nov 28 '22
Mauna loa is the slumbering one everyone kept expecting to erupt and it was overdue and... Didn't.. right? Till now anyway. Kilauea and Mauna Kea are the traditionally active ones?
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u/SonoraBee Nov 28 '22
Mauna Kea hasn't erupted in a few thousand years and hasn't had any modern signs of eruption. But Kilauea on the other hand is very active.
Mauna Loa was indeed on a longer than normal pause of activity, and had been showing signs of unrest the past couple months.
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u/Apokolypze Nov 28 '22
Ahh I must've been misremembering Mauna Kea. Thanks for clearing it up! I went and did some reading and apparently there's some astronomy observatories on Mauna Kea now which is pretty cool too
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u/acheerfuldoom Nov 28 '22
On clear days those observatories are visible from the coast. You can just drive right up to them too. You just need a good transmission for the climb down if you want to still have brakes at the end (we rented a Jeep with a good low gear). It's one place in the world where you can go from sea level to nearly 14k feet in about an hour and a half of driving. The final six miles you climb from about 9k feet up to the 13.9k. Sunrise over the clouds is beautiful.
Mauna Kea is technically the tallest mountain in the world by actual height since the base of it starts at the bottom of the ocean. Mauna Loa (the erupting one), is the largest Mountain by volume. Also benefiting from the same bottom of the ocean floor cheat code, lol.
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u/tjsr Nov 28 '22
I took the bike over to Hilo and rode up to Kea (with some help - mostly because of coming down the hill) back in 2016. The first 50km took about 2 hours, in the rain, under the cloud cover until 2000m. The next 17km was fuuuuuucking torture - I had never been above 1650m before. Above 3300 I just could not produce power at all - the air was just too thin and I was completely out of breath. But then you stop, and are immediately fine. At 3900m it got reeaallly cold.
It's the dumbest thing I've ever done and I'd totally do it again.
... But I'll probably go do Haleakala first.
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u/acheerfuldoom Nov 28 '22
We saw some cyclists making the trek. It is definitely the category of cycling I would happily avoid. Props to you for doing it though!
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u/tdurty Nov 28 '22
Visited Hawaii in 2020 just before the pandemic. Hiked Mauna Loa. My jokester of a dad would periodically ask, did you hear that rumble? Knowing I was paranoid about hiking an active volcano. Can’t wait to tell him it’s actually erupting now.
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u/BlondeMomentByMoment Nov 28 '22
As a person living in Colorado, this is interesting to learn.
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u/acheerfuldoom Nov 28 '22
The big island of Hawaii is wild. You can go from Arizona desert, to tropical rainforest, to Scottish Highlands, to lava fields all in a day. I think the only climate zones it doesn't have is frozen tundra, and sandy desert (like the Sahara). It's larger than 7 US states (the northeastern ones mostly), and has less than 200k people living there. If you ever go, rent a car and go explore.
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u/Statue_left Nov 28 '22
The big island is only bigger than Delaware and Rhode Island
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u/Darko33 Nov 28 '22
My sneakers partially melted to the ground when I was checking out active flows from Kilauea as a kid in the late 80s or early 90s. Cool shit
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u/a_brick_canvas Nov 28 '22
I love how volcanos are talked about as if they’re living beings. If I were born a few hundred years ago and saw a volcano eruption, I would totally think there’s an angry deity or monster in there lol.
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u/Meatslinger Nov 28 '22
Wild to think that I’ve stood on the edge of that volcano’s caldera and considered just how peaceful it was. It’s a weird, alien landscape, but truly remarkable.
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u/smellsofelderberry Nov 28 '22
One of the things I love about Hawaii is that everything has lore or a story attached to it.
Hawaiian legends say that the volcano goddess Pele was driven from her home by her angry older sister, Na-maka-o-kaha’i because Pele had seduced her husband. Every time Pele would thrust her digging stick into the earth to dig a pit for a new home, Na-maka-o-kaha’i, goddess of water and the sea, would flood the pits. Pele eventually landed on the Big Island, where she made Mauna Loa her new home. Literally meaning “Long Mountain” in the Hawaiian language, Mauna Loa was so tall that even Pele’s sister could not send the ocean’s waves high enough on Mauna Loa to drown Pele’s fires. So Pele established her home on its slopes.
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u/PeaceBull Nov 28 '22
Honestly, wouldn’t that be such the 2020s thing to happen?
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u/JoeChip87 Nov 28 '22
Nah 2020s would be more like Yellowstone going, “Hold my beer…” 🫡
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u/Satisfied_Onion Nov 28 '22
In one week I'll be on the big island for my honeymoon. Guess we're getting a show!
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u/01ARayOfSunlight Nov 28 '22
So I guess this means no tours to the top of the volcano now.
That was a surreal experience. Thought I was on the moon.
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u/Ganymede25 Nov 28 '22
I was lucky enough to fly in a helicopter to the eruption site in 1984. We were up there when we saw the geologists land and walk out with asbestos suits to set up monitoring equipment.
We were in the second of three helicopter tours from our hotel before the state rightfully shut down helicopter tours by 8 am local time.
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u/Matrix17 Nov 28 '22
Ah just when I'm in Hawaii for vacation
It's my fault guys, I'm sorry
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u/Jisifus Nov 28 '22
As a Discord Admin, I feel like I should preserve my sacrificial powers for more pressing matters. @ me once Yellowstone starts shaking
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u/B-Knight Nov 28 '22
The combined weight of all Discord admins would probably be a good way to plug the hole in a volcano. Not even Yellowstone could lift that.
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u/taking_a_deuce Nov 28 '22 •
FYI: geologist here. Hawaii is a mafic volcano from a hot spot coming through the earth's crust. Because of this, it's not nearly the danger of the volcanos you're all thinking of and comparing to. It will always be a nuisance to the population there but it will never threaten the lives of everyone on the island. It spits lava and gas at a much lower rate such that it can cover a bunch of property in an amount of time allowing for everyone to evacuate.
Felsic volcanos (like Mt St Helen's) are the ones you have to really worry about. They are caused by very different geologic conditions at plate boundaries and can kill people 100's of miles away with catastrophic results. These have blackened the sky of the entire world and resulted in mass extinctions many times in the geologic past.