Mauna Loa Volcano Eruption Update; Lava to Hit Route 200, Golden Volcanic Glass

[@GeologyHub]

There is some good news! Due to a decrease in speed of the lava flow to the north, it is now expected to take around a week to reach Route 200 instead of ~2 days. Source: Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, @Hawaii_EMA, (on Twitter)

[@kimm6589]

Hoping the lava banks west when it gets to a junction.

[@digitaldreamer5481]

Aloha, yesterday morning, we woke up to the heavy smell of the VOG from Mauna Loa. So yesterday afternoon, the YL and I drove to Diamond Head Lookout instead of the Kahala Lookout to view the smoke and ash clouds from Mauna Loa and was not disappointed. We’ve dealt with VOG over the years when Mauna Kea and the Halemaumau Crater had some smoky years but never when two volcanos erupting at the very same time. So now, the VOG from two erupting volcanos is very powerful now. The very negative side to all this is the fact that no metal components and coax at my transmitter sites are safe. I have been using Times Microwave LMR 400 Double Shielded Coax but recently ordered Times Microwave LMR 400 Ultra flex due to weight and shipping costs to Hawaii. I want to point out something very important which is about flights to the Big Island from HNL Airport. I strongly recommend not using airlines outside of Hawaiian Airlines. Several airlines have moved into Hawaiiian markets over the last three years but none of them have the experiences of Volcanoes and VOG like Hawaiian Airlines does, so therefore, they haven’t been cancelling flights nor delaying flights to Kona and Hilo. They know that you must wash out the jet engines of Pele’s Hair and other volcanic materials after each and every flight as required by the FAA and same goes for all the helicopter companies too, such as Blue Hawaii Helicopters and Paradise Helicopters. I personally know many of these helicopter pilots as I talk to them via radio communications. So don’t be afraid of higher ticket prices because of all the extra work that goes into making each flight safe and enjoyable. Anyone that has flown near active volcanoes knows that there is added risks but that it’s manageable to conduct very safe flights. 👍🤙🏻🤙🏻🤙🏻

[@sigisoltau6073]

What would happen if the lava flows from fissures 3 and 4 joined near that highway?

[@andibowe6890]

Was going .08 mph yesterday...

[@osmariobrito7776]

The last time I saw Pelé, his hair was black. I would also like to say that I have heard that the lava deposits from the Mauna Loa volcano may have formed from the decomposition of radioactive materials present in the Earth's crust. I wonder if it's true?

[@JimWiltschko]

Fortunate to be at Mauna Loa this morning. Just a note that locals call it the Saddle Road and civil defense calls it the Daniel K Inouye Highway. I’ve never heard it called Route 200.

[@99Chemicals]

Seconded. In future updates it would be best to call it Saddle road

[@marszenka]

glad you said something because I wondered if he meant Saddle Road. That makes me a little sad; it’s so ethereal up there.

[@LemonLadyRecords]

Thanks for the timely updates! Watched all the live streams this morning and fissure 3's walls are really getting big, quite a construction going on. Much longer fissure than Meradalir's and walls not closed. Be interesting see what it eventually builds.

[@zed4225]

@GeologyHub, had to change bank card, hadn't planned on going anywhere. Thanks for the informative streams you do for us.

[@stevebond4916]

I like your short periodic summations of Two Pineapples lengthy videos!

[@earthfriendly5799]

Wow, so fascinating. Thank you very much for such detailed descriptions.

[@gixellia8455]

Beautiful!!!! Thank you :o)

[@Diamerald]

Thanks for your great videos! ❤

[@bevinboulder5039]

Another very informative video!

[@DanielBerke]

That's interesting about Mauna Loa never erupting from both rift zones simultaneously, I didn't know that. If it hasn't crossed Saddle Road by the weekend I'll head up again and see if I can get some footage or photos. Maybe see if I can find some Pele's hair.

[@michaeldeierhoi4096]

It has to do with the pressure of the rising magma in the volcano vent. That pressure will find the weakest point and start erupting there. Once one rift is erupting there is little chance of the other starting to erupt because pressure has already been released in this case the north rift. Also over time with several fissures erupting in north rift it will eventually consolidate down to one fissure.

[@Dragrath1]

@@michaeldeierhoi4096 Yeah though the pressure dependence also means that if a blockage occurs (say due to a localized collapse or somthing) in the plumbing of the volcano you could very well see the eruption move elsewhere. For this volcano this doesn't seem to have happened in historical times but at the same time that doesn't mean it can't happen. In particular I know some of the flood basalt eruptions appear to show signs that something like that may have occurred most notably with the Siberian traps where its thought the initial lava flood may ultimately have blocked off further upwelling magma at the central source forcing the flows to propagate out laterally and thus causing a far larger area of the Carboniferous coal deposits to get burned/dissolved into the flow in massive coal seam fires. At the very least past flood basalt eruptions appear to have moved elsewhere from their initial fissure/source after thick piling up of lava so the possibility at least exists even if it seems highly unlikely to occur in small scale eruptions from purely magmatic effects. Though I am curious what sort of thresholds might be required to trigger such relocation of initial flows due to outflows.

[@michaeldeierhoi4096]

@@Dragrath1 Thanks for your interesting speculation. It will be interesting how long this eruption progresses.

[@DanielBerke]

@@michaeldeierhoi4096 That makes sense, thanks for the explanation.

[@reinc83]

Pele’s hair reminds me of fiberglass strands. Kinda getting itchy thinking about it.

[@Techno_Idioto]

It's basically volcanic fibreglass.

[@SaoGage]

GH, how do you think this eruption will compare to 1984 in terms of volume? This is looking pretty large as the fast flow rate hasn't waned at all yet.

[@sirdavidoftor3413]

The yellow colour of the “ hair” is due to what? The sun, or the the sulphur in the volcano? Thanks for keeping us up to date!

[@Aztesticals]

I think it is just the shape of the crystals that form out of the glass as it rapidly cools. They act to reflect more yellow light than other parts of the spectrum. Just my best guess

[@donl9571]

Another possibility is iron salts. Iron exposed to air (as would happen in these high surface area threads) always forms reddish to yellowish colors. That's why old concrete sidewalks and roads turn yellowish vs their original white color.

[@Mason_Thibo]

Love these updates! I'd love to know what minerals and general characteristics make up an A'a lava flow that we see with this eruption. Some of the audio from closeup to the flow sounds like shattering glass.

[@kimm6589]

Clinkers!

[@leong108]

all lava is going to be minerals similar to glass and the little fragments of it will sound like glass. That is because its all a mix of silicates, with some metals in it. The type of metals in it accounts for the difference between granite and basalt . The hawaiin islands have basalt lava. This suggests the mantle is pushing its magma up, which makes sense as the hawain islands are in thin oceanic crust. granite comes from magma creates from crust material, which is more likely in a continental crust situation. eg at the continental collision where continental crust (mostly granite, or averaging granite composition ) is being subducted , granite in, granite out.

[@72marshflower15]

Olivine/Peridot is the main crystalline specks (by the countless trillions) that's imbedded in the basalt. It's also why the earth has been able to retain its water mass. Peridot is a water retaining crystal that comprises much of our planet.

[@barbarashaffer8486]

can you mention more about the SO2 output on the next update? or maybe where i can see it in better time more accuratley? no one seems to have a decent link, and with La Palma it was a great factor to keep an eye on. would really love updates on the output but i dunno where to get em :/ thanks! you rock!

[@MeYouFitness]

So fascinating. Would love to see a volcano in person

[@beardy4831]

That was an interesting usage of standard and metric, mixing meters of elevation and length in miles.

[@zacrintoul]

I noticed that as well. Not sure what I think. I guess I can relate to longer distances better in miles, but like the meters when referencing the elevation changes. If he used km he would also need to have had more data points. On the other hand is easier when imagining slope if you were comparing the same units. Having the elevation changes in meters compared to the distance in km is a direct correlation. 10m to 1000m etc you don't even need to know what a meter is to know how steep the slope is.

[@robertslugg8361]

As a scientist, the disregard these days for "significant numbers" just drives me bonkers. And an even greater downside is that information gets lost in thr process. Much better to say 5 meters than 4.9926 meters, expecially when there is no certainty in anything to the right of the decimal point. Just because there are numbers displayed on the screen doesn't imply that those numbers have any meaning. Also better to just round off if you want to communicate a message. I love how yacht salemen will call it a 39.69 meter boat as opposed to just saying it is a 40 meter boat. I will remember the latter, and probably not the former. If the point is to educate, then it needs to be presented in a manner that the target will absorb. As for slope, it is much better to use % grade, which is a main determinant in how fast the lava will move. 1000ft drop per linear mile is a 20% grade, which is pretty steep. When the grade hits 0%, the lava pools, and then looks for the next slope to go down. Of course, it is both viscous and the viscosity changes, so it doesn't behave exactly like a proper liquid, and previous formations can be pushed up shallow grades by a more fluid flow that is arriving via a steeper grade, which we saw several times recently in Iceland

[@diatribe114]

If you ever have the opportunity to go to the park and drive all the routes through the lava flows , I would definitely recommend it. They have each flow marked by date and on the far side of the island you can see the huge flows that lead to the ocean . As a bonus , some of the biggest waves that can be found is right at this point .

[@RobinMarks1313]

AWESOME!!!!!

[@kimm6589]

On the Two Pineapples live stream this morning, he said that the air looked silver yesterday due to all the SO2.

[@arturomontilla5073]

The day of my birthday. The colors of the sky must be pretty unique. A Painter´s dream.

[@rolfjacobson833]

thaks

[@scillyautomatic]

You last estimated the height of the lava fountains as high as 200 feet but I have seen video that appeared to be higher (based on the formula you gave). How high are the fountains now?

[@keithrosenberg5486]

Pele's hair is what happens when the goddess has not brushed her hair for 38 years!

[@jimmyjames2022]

Have you seen reports on "Lateral Extent of Pyroclastic Surge Deposits at Ubehebe Crater (Death Valley, California) and Implications for Hazards in Monogenetic Volcanic Fields", (Valentine, Fierstein, White)? The paper significantly extends the limits of surge deposits around phreato-magmatic eruptions.

[@Veritequiparles]

Would this eruption effect weather on the US mainland, in say California, could this end the drought or make it worse?

[@bestamerica]

' wow beautifully natural eruption volcano lava in hawaii... keep gooing activity volcano lava allday - allnight in one year until dec 2023

[@ViewDark]

It had better take a few more days, I need to go to Hilo next week, if lava cuts Saddle Road a one hour trip doubles.

[@andreah.5962]

Ooo, this is the first I've heard of Pele's hair. Is it something that can be collected like pumice, or does it all fuse together into a large blob when it hits the ground?

[@Techno_Idioto]

I do believe it would be collectable like pumice, I would just be careful due to its fragility and potential to be a respiratory irritant.

[@andreah.5962]

@@Techno_Idioto Thanks!

[@jamesballock1768]

Suggested topic: weight -density - composition of this lava compared to other eruptions in Hawaii,and other volcano.

[@Techno_Idioto]

Composition would roughlt be the same, as most Hawai'ian volcanoes erupt basaltic lava, but given that there was the Kilauea Anomaly in 2018, it wouldn't be surprising to see some different compositions.

[@dg6438]

Is there evidence of Pele's hair over geologic time? What, if anything, does it morph into? Thanks for the awesome videos!

[@barbarashirland9078]

It has slowed down to 0.02 mph. They updated the “cross the saddle road” date to one week from today which is Thursday, Dec 1. Glad I sold my Ka’u land right before Kilauea’s last BIG eruption.

[@andibowe6890]

Eruption or drainage? PGV caused 2018 drainage check out where the large EQ occurred back then...

[@steveroberson1488]

This is the strangest lava flow I have ever seen its seems very chunky & rocky !

[@JimWiltschko]

There are two types of lava flows A’A (chunky) and Pahoehoe (smooth/ropey). This flow at the terminus is A’A.

[@thunderpants3500]

There are 2 major rift zones? Didn't know that.

[@palantir135]

It seems that a lot of volcanic activity is starting on Iceland. Several volcanoes at once. Can you tell more.

[@michaeldeierhoi4096]

Check out 'Just Icelandic' on youtube. He has been on a roll covering the activity of volcanoes all over Iceland.

[@palantir135]

@@michaeldeierhoi4096 😋 I’m already subscribed to that channel but thank you.

[@Davett53]

Interesting reading: Uses for volcanic rocks. How humans have utilized the various materials ejected from volcanos.

[@ampheia]

Are you still planning on heading to the island to study it?

[@ampheia]

@xXAg3nT80-siXx Not to mention that if that road gets cut off, everyone has to go the long way around to get to the other side of the island, which I'm sure will be a traffic nightmare.

[@cyndikarp3368]

There has been earthquakes on SW Rift. Is there still a possibility it could?

[@michaeldeierhoi4096]

It is probably not likely because pressure has already opened the fissures in the north rift. And the north rift was the weak point in this current eruption.

[@michaeladams8784]

Could I get a video on the geologic history of Tennessee?

[@billybobjohn8955]

Is Hawai i growing faster than eroding or eroding faster than growing?

[@DMR505]

The bad news is there's now a dual eruption, Kilauea's erupting also with mauno Lao, park ranger slipped up on khono news & USGS published it on their site,

[@terenfro1975]

Volcano fiber is not mysterious. Same as making cotton candy, but with molten silica.

[@PeaceLoveHonor]

So... is Pele's hair kind of a type of fiberglass?

[@michaeldeierhoi4096]

Pele's Hair is very much like obsidian or volcanic glass so it is similar to fiberglass .

[@legoteacher1]

But it has migrated before from one rift zone to the other!***

[@bigrooster6893]

Like I said yesterday, it’s impossible for Mauna Loa to have a eruption in both rift zones during the same eruption. It’s because the way Mauna Loa is constructed lava isn’t going to run back uphill 180°. Lava underground mainly only wants to run vertical either straight up or sideways, but it will run downhill, uphill any direction when it reaches the surface it’s definitely strange.

[@michaeldeierhoi4096]

I think that the southern rift zone is less likely now that the pressure is released in Mauna Loa with the openings in the north rift zone. And what usually happens when there is more than one rift open they eventually consolidate down one rift erupting.

[@stealdst]

Pele’s hair seems very itchy

[@Nightscape_]

If Pele's Hair was blown onto the road will it cause vehicle tires to blow out if driven on?

[@michaeldeierhoi4096]

Pele's hair is dangerous to breath in, but not a threat to car tires. And car air filters should keep it out of the engine.

[@RoxnDox]

No. It's very fragile stuff.

[@johnthomas2485]

Does "Pele's Hair pose any inhalation risk, like volcanic aah?

[@Xaerorazor0]

It does, as it can be smaller than what’s seen.

[@kimm6589]

It looks something like fiberglass, except thicker. I freaking hate working with fiberglass.

[@christianbuczko1481]

Its quite dangerous but basic dustmasks will protect from it.

[@kamildowejko2254]

@@Xaerorazor0 No it does not

[@shannonmariemalina7424]

Yes ,it's like asbestos ,even in the water for the animals open waters no drinking

[@rogerc7960]

Will nz North island erupt?

[@filledwithvariousknowledge2747]

It has the Taupo Volcanic Zone including the complex type Super Volcano Taupo itself which unlike other Super Volcano’s has multiple vents that can produce separate eruptions and the Auckland Volcanix field

[@2HighNoon]

I really want a sample of the golden glass! Can you send me some? I’ll pay..

[@voidjavelin23]

Peles hair is worthless lol its just fiberglass but thicker

[@2HighNoon]

@@voidjavelin23 ya but it’s cool to a rockhounder who wants a little for their collection of oddities and unique geology. 🤷‍♂️ It’s a thing. 😊

[@enckidoofalling4519]

79 miles an hour now will soread out on the flat

[@christianbuczko1481]

Meters per hour, not miles..

[@jtgd]

Where’s the avatar when we need him?

[@honeybadgerisme]

yeah--don't touch pele's hair--ever handle fiberglass? This is worse.

[@huttboynz4422]

Check out the recent swarms of earthquakes that rattled the Taupo region of NZ!! And comment please Geology Hub.

[@00Pottus00]

Well Pele might be going bald but I still think she is pretty hot!

[@richardjphilpott]

The Mickey Mouse activities of NASA and ISS ignore this awesome eruption . If they have the wherewithal, which I doubt , to show a video of this awesome eruption it would be of enormous value to Hawaiian Volcano Observatory and to the burdened taxpayer

[@michaeldeierhoi4096]

🙄

[@AtarahDerek]

What would happen if history's most popular president were to sniff Pele's hair? Asking for a friend.

[@michellegarry1872]

USBS.