 Image Courtesy: Volcanoes.usgs.gov DISCUSSION: Kilauea volcano on Hawai’i island is an active volcano with continuous eruptions dating to 1983. May 3rd, 2018 was the most current volcanic eruption cycle for Kilauea, opening fissures in Leilani Estates, Lanipuna Gardens, with an estimated 22 fissures having opened as recent as Monday, May 21st 2018 in Puna. To no surprise, due to this increase in volcanic activity this has brought about the influx of information given by the USGS (U.S. Geological Survey) to residents and new questions that prompt aid now from the NWS (National Weather Service). According to the USGS, “Geology efforts address major societal issues that involve geologic hazards and disasters, climate variability and change, energy and mineral resources, ecosystem and human health, and ground-water availability.” With this, it is to be expected that the USGS and geologists alike are studying the impacts of the most recent fissures and eruption cycle of Kilauea. In addition to such work with monitoring the East Rift Zone activity, advance of lava flows, earthquake activity, such a localized volcanic event has also produced ashfall, gas emissions and are thus warning residents of potential hazards associated with Kilauea. However such hazards come with observational limitations that the USGS cannot resolve. Queue the NWS and it’s team of meteorologists and atmospheric scientists. The NWS states, “meteorology is the science concerned with the Earth’s atmosphere and it’s physical processes. A meteorologist is a physical scientist who observes, studies, or forecasts the weather.” While not entirely obvious as to why the NWS is needed during this current eruption, Geologists often observe the geologic feature (here being Kilauea), the hazard of this volcano, its transformation, significance, relation to seismic activity, and advancement of lava flows, however once the eruption reaches the troposphere, (the lowest layer of Earth’s atmosphere extending approximately 10 kilometers) the issue at hand becomes one for a meteorologist. The troposphere is the layer humans live in, with nearly all weather occurring in the troposphere. This is of interest as once a volcano such as Kilauea erupts, ashfall becomes a potential hazard for residents, including the increase of particulate matter into the atmosphere this brings concern for acidic rainfall, and redirection of flight patterns in and around the Hawaiian Islands as trade winds and the jet stream influence lower and upper level wind movement of the particulate matter. This most recent volcanic activity has allowed for the coordination of geologists and meteorologists to provide residents in the East Rift zone with information on fissures, gas emissions, Vog (volcanic smog), lava inundation, ashfall propagation, and any advisories/watches/warnings associated with Kilauea. For more information on Kilauea and other natural disasters developing, visit the Global Weather and Climate Center! © 2018 Meteorologist Jessica Olsen
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 DISCUSSION: On May 3, the Island of Hawaii experienced the beginning of a major episode of the ongoing eruption of Mount Kilauea. Mount Kilauea has been actively erupting since January 3, 1983. Mount Kilauea is a shield volcano and generally erupts from the sides in small pockets called rift zones instead of straight through the top as one imagines a stereotypical volcanic eruption such as Mt. St. Helens. This latest episode is happening on the east rift zone of the volcano.
In recent days, this episode has increased ash production which is a danger to aircraft. Volcanic ash is a major problem for plane engines as the ash is known to damage the blades. In addition, the volcanic ash can contaminate the fuel which forces the engine to work harder increasing fuel consumption. In addition, the ash has reached up to 30,000 feet which would allow it to reach places such as central Mexico where it would worsen air quality. However, many of the major ash explosions have only reached an elevation of 10,000 feet. As a result, much of the ash is distributed over parts of the far east shore of the island of Hawaii and into the Pacific Ocean. In addition to the ash, chemicals emitted from the volcano, most notably sulfur dioxide, has caused problems in the air quality for the Island of Hawaii. One of the problems with the sulfur dioxide is the creation of vog. Vog is a portmanteau of volcanic fog as it is formed from the interaction of water vapor with the volcanic emissions including sulfur dioxide. Another concern involved with the sulfur dioxide being emitted, is the formation of acid rain, which is very dangerous as acid rain can destroy trees and property. The concern of acid rain is mainly localized on the far east coast of the island of Hawaii and may even be a concern for the major city of Hilo if there is a wind shift to a southerly-southeasterly flow at low levels of the atmosphere. However, the west side of the island including Kona is not being affected as much as usual because the wind flow is the prevailing trade winds which come from the northeast. The eruption has destroyed 37 buildings with only one injury reported. More damage is possible if many more fissures open in the rift. In addition, the emissions of sulfur oxides and methane will continue to be an air quality issue for a few weeks as it would take a while for the chemicals to clear up and be less concentrated. To learn more about other neat geo-science stories from around the world, be sure to click here! © 2018 Meteorologist JP Kalb 
DISCUSSION: Ever since the Earth formed, many people around the world have continued to remain intrigued by how new islands form as the Earth has evolved. The key answer to this question often lies in certain places near the bottom of various oceanic basins around the world. At locations wherein there is an underwater volcano, such places are known as hot-spots. Hot-spots are effectively locations at which new land can form due to underwater volcanic eruptions ejecting volcanic material close to (if not right up to) the surface of the ocean above where the given eruption occurred. Thus, given the right sub- and surface-based oceanic conditions, new islands can form over the course of time.
It is worth noting the fact that underwater hot-spots were responsible for forming island chains around the world such as (but certainly not limited to) Hawaii. Thus, hot-spots provide a unique and viable method by which new islands and island chains can and do form in different parts of the world over very long periods of time. It is also important to note that such processes take a long time, so anyone interested in moving to a newer, developing island should not exactly "buy stock" in future building developments on these "growing islands" since it can often take centuries and even millennia until such islands are remotely ready to start being inhabited in any capacity. Thus, even though the premise of new islands forming in your lifetime may sound enticing, this does not always correlate to what you may think it will within a given lifetime. To learn more about other neat geo-science stories from around the world, be sure to click here! © 2018 Meteorologist Jordan Rabinowitz |
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