Tag Archives: Volcano

Living, Nature and Climate Change, Stories

Hawaii Homes Threatened by Molten Lava

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Pictures from Hawaii four hours ago.

A slow-moving river of molten lava from an erupting volcano is edging closer towards dozens of homes and businesses in a seaside town on Hawaii’s Big Island.

The lava has already crept across a residential property and incinerated an outbuilding.

The lava flow from the Kilauea volcano has been moving towards the village of Pahoa for weeks and was clocked at speeds of up to 14 metres an hour as it bubbled over a road and overran a cemetery.

On Wednesday afternoon, the Hawaii Civil Defence agency said the lava advanced to within 250 metres of Pahoa Village Road, the main street through the town of about 800 people, built on the site of an old sugar plantation.

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Civil Defence administrator Darryl Oliveira said Pahoa’s commercial district lies mostly to the south of the area in greatest danger, and most homes and businesses are believed to be out of harm’s way, based on the lava’s current trajectory.

“Right now where the flow is moving we’re very fortunate because the number and concentration of structures is very low,” Mr Oliveira said.

“But the caution to that is even though the flow front is very narrow at this time, if the eruption continues and the flow continues to be supported by the tube system a widening of the activity or flow is likely to occur.”

However residents of about 50 dwellings in what civil defence officials called a “corridor of risk” were urged to prepare to leave, and many were slowly emptying their homes of furniture and belongings.

Mr Oliveira told a news conference that no mandatory evacuations had been ordered but 83 national guard troops were undergoing training and would be deployed to the community on Thursday.
VIDEO: Lava flow from Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano (YouTube: Ena Media Hawaii/Blue Hawaiian Helicopters)
On Tuesday the molten rock topping temperatures of 900 degrees Celsius engulfed a utility shed but spared the adjacent house on the property, already evacuated and cleared of furniture and other belongings.

“So far we have been very fortunate that the flow has not taken any other structures,” Mr Oliveira said.

Officials said they would close an endangered elementary school on Wednesday and shutter four more schools on Thursday.

The US Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said the leading edge of the lava stream had narrowed to about 45 metres wide.

Provan Crump, a marine biologist who lives locally, said residents were well prepared.

“[They’re] just moving all their valuables out and then moving,” he said.

“There’s not much else you can do, it’s a force of nature.”

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-10-30/lava-edges-towards-dozens-of-homes-on-hawaiis-big-island/5852676

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-10-30/hawaii-volcano-youtube/5853178

Life, Living, Nature and Climate Change, Stories

Tavurvur Erupts Again

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Over a decade ago, I lost one of my closest friends, Anzac Rabbie. He was a talented Papua New Guinean banker who was very well respected amongst his peers and the community. Anzac, named after the famous Anzac Day was from Rabaul. We took Anzac back to Rabaul to bury him. His wife Delma, children Rachael and William and their families who lived in capital Port Moresby, all travelled back to Rabaul for Anzac’s funeral. While we were in Rabaul, the Tavurvur Volcano erupted. It was one of the scariest things I had ever experienced in my life. Anzac’s village was position quite high and inland on a hilltop. However, the eruption shook and destroyed houses, schools and other structures. We were completely covered in ashes. This natural disaster left a very significant memory for me. In PNG we do cover ourselves in some of our regional cultures to show respect for the dead. For the case of my dear friend Anzac, even nature gave him it quite a ‘send off’.

Today I read, Tavurvur erupted again this morning. Here is the story from ABC.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-08-29/papua-new-guineas-mount-tavurvur-volcano-erupts-back-to-life/5705032

Papua New Guinea’s Mount Tavurvur volcano erupts back to life

By PNG correspondent Liam Cochrane

Updated about 6 hours agoFri 29 Aug 2014, 2:28pm

A major volcanic eruption in Rabaul on Papua New Guinea’s East New Britain Island has left the local community concerned for their safety, as residents flee and businesses close.

The eruption came from Mount Tavurvur, which destroyed the town of Rabaul when it erupted simultaneously to nearby Mount Vulcan in 1994.

Authorities said the most recent eruption began in the early hours of Friday morning.

“An eruption commenced from Tavurvur form between 3:30am and 4:00am,” a bulletin from the Rabaul Volcanological Observatory said.

“The eruption started slow and slowly developed in a stromblian eruption with incandescent projections accompanied by explosion noises and ongoing loud roaring and rumbling noises.

“Stronger explosions are generating air phases and rattling windows.”

A strombolian eruption is characterized by short-lived, explosive outbursts of fluid lava ejected tens or hundreds of meters into the air.

Local resident David Flinn described the eruption of lava and rocks as savage and said lightning strikes could be seen amongst the ash cloud.

He said the volcano is currently emitting light steam and occasional booms, with about one centimetre of light brown ash covering surrounding areas.

Mr Finn said locals on nearby Matupit Island, about one kilometre from Mt Tavurvur have fled and yachts have left the harbour.

Authorities have not yet issued an evacuation order for Rabaul residents.

Schools and some shops have been closed, but Rabaul Hotel employee Susie McGrade said locals just want to get on with their lives.

“People still live here, we have to get on with our daily lives,” she said.

“We’re up on the rooves, cleaning off the ash, we’ve got to save our property, try and get back to normal, so what can we do? We’ve got no where else to go.”

It is yet to be confirmed whether the eruption will disrupt local or international flight plans.

Rabaul was the provincial capital in 1994, but after the town was destroyed by volcanic ash the capital was moved to Kokopo.

By comparison this eruption is a relatively small event.

Mount Tavurvur is considered one of the most active volcanos in the region, most recently erupting in early 2013 and recording other erruptions in 2011, 2010, 2006, 2005 and 2002, since the major 1994 explosion.