Volcano News

A couple people from Humboldt Country recently asked about some of the news they were hearing about new volcanic activity on the Big Island -- and how that relates to us and where we live.  The map below shows our Leilani subdivision over at the far right.

Bright Pink at top is from 2014, RED at center indicates June flow.

Living on the Big Island means living on the edge - on some of the newest land on the planet.  We walk on land that is about 200 years new and beaches that are half our age!  Yes, the drive up to Volcano National Park (not shown on this map) takes us about an hour...it is about 45 miles away, however, the eruptions that began in the early 1980's and have flowed into the ocean for nearly 30 years were from a vent much closer to home -- called Pu'u O'o.

(To answer your possible question:  Yes, we knew all about this activity when we bought our house early in 2012.  If you were to examine a detailed topographic map, you could more clearly see why don't panic about this.)



If you were lucky enough to visit the Big Island between 1983 and 2013, you were afforded an aerial view by helicopter or a sea view by charter boat to witness the spectacular vision of red hot lava pouring into the crashing waves of the coast.  However, the flows into the ocean stopped at the end of 2013.  Since 2014 the flow in a more easterly direction.

The amazing photo to the right was taken in January this year, when the flow was moving in a more easterly direction

Map shows flows through 2002

This map provides a historic view of all the flows that began in 1983, but does not show the more recent ones.  Thanks to the USGS for such excellent coverage and photography.

If you would like to read some older history about Pu'u O'o, click on this link:
http://pubs.usgs.gov/dds/dds-80/album.html

(Note:  We would have never posted this information while Phil's mom, Margaret was still alive; poor dear, it would have been too disturbing.)


Recently we attended a stunning two hour film "Dancing with the Goddess" VolcanoScapes at Imiloa that was breathtaking.  Click on this link for a peek. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JECkKHvDs-o