Late-Breaking Session

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Meeting Program

Kīlauea 2018:

Geoscience and Communication During a High Profile Natural Event

Monday, 5 November 2018: 8:45 AM–noon, Indiana Convention Center, Sagamore Ballroom 5

Conveners:
Ken H. Rubin, University of Hawaii at Manoa
Aaron J Pietruszka, US Geological Survey, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center

Sponsors:
GSA Geophysics and Geodynamics Division; GSA Mineralogy, Petrology, Geochemistry and Volcanology Division; GSA Structure and Tectonics Division; Mineralogical Society of America, GSA Geology and Society Division

Livestream:
Zoom Watch

Kīlauea lava meets the sea
As of 6 a.m. HST July 30, lava from fissure 8 was moving in an open channel all the way to the central flow field southeast of Kapoho Crater. There, it crusted over and fed numerous active tongues of lava that entered the ocean along a broad (2 km, or 1.2 mi) coastal flow front centered near the former Ahalanui Beach Park. Photo courtesy USGS.
Classic pāhoehoe behavior
This lava, erupted from fissure 8 on Kīlauea Volcano's lower East Rift Zone, shows classic pāhoehoe behavior. Exposed to the air, the surface of the flow chills to form a thin crust that can be stretched or broken apart, forming pieces of crust that are "subducted" back into the molten interior. The main sound is wind noise, but crackles can also be heard as flakes of glassy lava pop off the top of the solid crust as it stretches and moves. Video courtesy USGS.