|
Spirit
of Aloha | Features
| July/August
2002
Harsh
Beauty
By:
Donna O'Meara
The
Pu'u 'O'o eruption has been a showcase for the magnificent
handiwork of the volcano goddess Pele
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Vast
vistas of lava fields spread for miles from the Pu'u
'O'o eruption
Photo Resource Hawai'i/G. Brad Lewis
Michael
Stewart
A
hellish landscape overwhelms a retreating moon.
Peter French
Clouds
of steam rise from the violent meeting of lava and ocean.
Photo Resource Hawai'i/G. Brad Lewis
A
lava lake seethes inside the Pu'u 'O'o vent.
Michael Stewart
The
fiery orange of molten lava gives off a heat that's
almost
palpable.
Michael Stewart
Fingers
of molten lava reach into the sea.
Michael Stewart
Red-hot lava explodes in a shower of sparks.
Photo Resource Hawai'i/G. Brad Lewis
Lava
bubbles into an orange dome.
Photo Resource Hawai'i/G. Brad Lewis
Some
of the many patterns formed by lava:
Donna
& Stephen O'Meara/Volcano Watch International
Photo
Resource Hawai'i/G. Brad Lewis
Michael
Stewart
Michael
Stewart
Donna
& Stephen O'Meara/Volcano Watch International
Michael
Stewart
|
On the
southeastern flank of the island of Hawai'i broods the most
active volcano on Earth. Kilauea. This is the home of Pele,
the volcano goddess of Hawaiian mythology, who is said to
have struck the ground with her magic digging tool, Pa'oa,
to make the mighty fire pit.
In the
last 100 years, Kilauea has erupted more than 40 times, but
in terms of longevity, none of her past eruptions can match
the current one. Pu'u 'O'o (pu'u means hill and 'o'o is the
name of an extinct Hawaiian bird) has been spewing lava for
almost two decades now.
It began on the morning of Jan. 3, 1983, in the rain forest
of Kilauea's east rift zone. Suddenly, the earth shook, then
cracked apart. A four-mile-long fissure shot a wall of molten
red lava through the green forest canopy. This "curtain
of fire" soon turned into a "fountain of fire"
centered on the main vent. Around the vent, falling cinder
and lava built up a 1,000-foot-high cone, while deep inside,
a reservoir of magma gurgled and boiled.
For the next three years, the eruption continued to shoot
fountains of lava. Then, in 1986, the fountains stopped, and
two miles downslope, lava began seeping from the ground and
pooling into a seething pond. The pond was named Kupaianaha,
meaning "the mysterious one." The lava filled Kupaianaha,
overflowed, formed a shield and forced its way through underground
lava tubes all the way to the seacoast, where it poured and
exploded into the cold ocean water. This pattern continued
until 1992. It was during this phase, in 1990, that the seaside
village of Kalapana was swallowed by lava and 100 homes were
destroyed.
In 1992, the eruption switched back to Pu'u 'O'o vent and
the Kupaianaha lava lake dried up. Only once since then has
the activity left Pu'u 'O'o: For a few days in January 1997,
lava spewed from nearby Napau Crater, then moved abruptly
back to Pu'u 'O'o. There it has remained, continuing to pour
out lava through a complex underground tube system to the
sea.
Pu'u 'O'o's daily lava production is between 300,000 and 600,000
square meters. Over its long lifespan, it has added more than
560 acres of new land to the Big Island's south shore.
Today, visitors can view the fascinating displays of Pu'u
'O'o firsthand. The violent meeting of lava with water has
generated an explosive plume of steam, visible for miles on
the coastline. Depending on conditions, spectators are allowed
to hike on prescribed trails over the hardened lava for a
closer view. But visitors are reminded to heed the warnings
given by the onsite park rangers and to stay within the bounds
set by them. One example of the possible hazards: the towering
plume can contain sulfur and tiny shards of volcanic glass.
If you drive down Chain of Craters Road to view the eruption,
you'll be stopped by a massive, hardened lava flow that closed
the highway 14 years ago. In some places, the lava covering
the roadway is 75 feet deep.
This year, a molten lava shield has formed near the vent.
After dark, from a distance, visitors can see the eerie orange
glow against the night clouds. Occasionally, a lava tube cracks
open and a surface flow oozes out onto the coastal flats.
The Pu'u 'O'o eruption shows no signs of stopping-which means
we can continue to witness this incredible natural phenomenon
and enjoy the masterwork of the volcano goddess Pele.
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