Thomas A. Jaggar Museum at Hawaii's Volcanoes National Park

Thomas Augustus Jaggar, founder of the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1871. While studying at Harvard University, he received his Ph.D. in geology and realized that experimentation was the key to understanding how the Earth worked.  He then set out on a decade-long expedition in order analyze geologic processes.

He voyaged to St. Vincent and Martinique in the Caribbean after a 1902 eruption left both islands devastated. He was recognized for his efforts and achievements in the field of geology that same year when he was elected as Fellow of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences.

A short time later in 1906 Jagger became Director of Geology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. As he followed the path of great earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, Jagger traveled the globe studying Earth’s processes as his need for understanding them grew.

The 1908 Mt. Etna eruption in Italy which killed an estimated 125,000 people was the catalyst for Jaggar to begin an ongoing study of volcanic and seismic activity. After years of touring the world seeing the destruction of volcanic activity he decided something needed to be done.

Volcanic Plume Entering the Ocean on the Coastal Plain

It was on a trip to Hawaii in 1909 when Jaggar decided that the crater of Mt. Kilauea would be the location for America’s first volcano observatory. After giving a presentation of his expeditions he was approached by Honolulu attorney and businessman Lorrin Thurston. Thurston had the same idea for Kilauea being the home to a permanent geologic observatory.  Within a year Thurston was able to gather the capital needed to build an observation station and together they formed the Hawaii Volcano Research Association (HVRA).

Kilauea Volcano In Action

In 1912 the HVRA gained support from an MIT alumnus and began construction on a larger Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. As director, Jaggar pushed to gain funding from the Federal Government and in 1919 he succeeded.  The National Weather Service agreed to fund the new observatory, and the United States Geological Survey took over operations.

Jaggar remained the observatory’s director until 1940 and Jaggar lived until 1953, and the Thomas A. Jagger Museum carries out his legacy as founder of the HVO.

View of the Halema'uma'u Crater from Volcanoes National Park

If you are interested in visiting the Thomas A. Jaggar Museum, Thurston Lava Tube or Volcanoes National Park. Check out our Big Island Volcano Tours website. For more travel information and tips visit our Hawaii Travel Blog.

Aloha!

Lava coils.

Coil shaped lava formations are a common sight on a Hawaii volcano tour, but this is the first time extraterrestrial lava coils have been found.

Andrew Ryan, an Arizona State University graduate student spotted coil shaped lava formations while examining photos taken by NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.  Lava coils found on Hawaii’s lava fields typically range from 1-2 feet across. The ones spotted on Mars range from 16 to 100 feet. Talk about a remarkable discovery!

In his study Ryan noted how the coils on Mars looked strikingly similar to Hawaiian lava flows. On Hawaii, the coils form as lava on the surface cools and contracts quicker than the lava below it, forming spirals and polygonal fractures.

Hawaiian Lava Flow

Lava Formations on Mars

Found near the Martian equator, these formations are estimated to be around 20 million years old and are considered to be young on a geologic scale. This evidence is helping scientists build the theory of lava as the driving force behind many of Mars’s equatorial valleys.

While there are no signs pointing to Mars being geologically active today, it does shed light in to how complicated Mars’ geologic history is. And hopefully more images from the Mars Orbiter will lead to discoveries of lava coils on other parts of the planet.

Mother Nature's Power

Lava Formations Closer to Home

A Big Island vacation can provide some pretty amazing sights which are apparently out of this world!  And a Hawaii volcano tour is the most convenient way to see volcano coils with your own eyes.  Unless you really, really want to go to Mars…

Aloha!

Join the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park Forest Restoration Project this Friday, April 20th, on the slopes of Mauna Loa from 8:30am-3:00pm. The project is focusing on an isolated area where natural regeneration of plants has not yet occurred. Co-chair of the Friends’ Forest Restoration Committee, Mark Johnson, will lead the day, and nearly 600 seedlings from nine different species of plants need to be planted. Johnson will also help to educated volunteers about the park’s native forest restoration program.

Help plant native seedlings at Volcanoes National Park

By planting seedlings on the slopes of Mauna Loa, the Volcanoes National Park Forest Restoration Project will bring to life the endemic plants that have called the Big Island home for many years, and allow future generations to enjoy the natural beauty of Hawaii’s flora and fauna.

If you’d like to help restore the Volcanoes of the Big Island, you can sign-up to register with the Friends of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park here. See you out there!

The program is scheduled to last about 45 minutes, and is recommended for any over 5 years of age; All children must be accompanied by an adult.

John Keawe

John Keawe has won multiple Na Hoku Hanohano awards, as well as receiving multiple Hawaii Music Awards. Keawe was also a contributor to the award winning album, “Slack Key Guitar Volume 2.” He has produced 10 albums in his career, seven of which were nominated for Na Hoku HanoHano Awards. His album entitled “Hawaii Island…Is My Home” won Keawe the first Na Hoku HanoHano award for Slack-key album of the year.

Slack-Key Guitar

The characteristic of slack-key guitar is its open tuning. The style of music and the way it is played was developed in the HawaiianIslands. The history of slack-key is still a little murky, but “vaqueros” (Spanish  cowboys) brought over their guitars in the late 19^th century and taught Hawaiians the rudiments of playing. Once the vaqueros left Hawaii, the Hawaiian guitar players were left to develop their own unique style of playing the guitar, and slack-key guitar were ultimately what resulted.

Liquid Robotics is a company partly based on the Big Island, and they are breaking records! Their Hawai’i base is located in Kawaihae, and it is at this branch of the company where customer orders undergo sea trials to ensure that they are properly functioning.

PacX Challenge Wave Gliders

The PacX Wave Gliders have broken the world record for distance by an unmanned wave powered vehicle. The unmanned vehicle was launched from San Francisco Bay on November 17, 2011 and arrived to their destination on the Big Island. The Wave Gliders survived 26 foot waves in a gale force storm, and defied turbulent mid-ocean currents. After they have a check-up in the Big Island they will be off to their next destination

About the Gliders

From the company’s website “The Wave Glider is the first marine robot to use only the oceanʼs endless supply of wave energy for propulsion (no manpower, no emissions, no refueling). The Wave Glider employs a multi-patented design that allows it to cost-effectively collect and transmit data gathered during yearlong missions, over distances of thousands of miles, or while holding station. Data gathered by Wave Gliders will help us address the biggest challenges our marine environments face – including ocean acidification, fisheries management, and natural disaster mitigation.”

The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) publishes updates on the status of the volcano daily. You can check to see where lava is erupting and any updates that come from Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park

According to their updates the most recent activity on the volcano is limited to a glow which can be seen in the Halemau’uma’u gas plume from sources within and on the upper east flank of Pu’u ‘O’o cone. Seeing the furious looking glow which comes from the inside of the Halema’uma’u crater is a very unique experience that should not be passed up when visiting the island.

Another update to the status of the eruptions surrounding the volcano are the surface flows that have reactivated on the pali, and have again advanced onto the coastal plain southeast of Pu’u ‘O’o. Although these are the flows which commonly make up the spectacular ocean entry sites, they haven’t quite made it to the ocean yet. If the flows persist they could reach the ocean entry zone at any time, creating an amazing scene.

Seeing the volcano is a very exciting experience for any one, but visiting the volcano comes with some inherent risks. If you do decide to make the hike to see the lava entering the ocean, be very careful; this area is full of hazards. Stay clear of the ocean entry areas because they can collapse without warning. Also high concentrations of sulfur dioxide can be found within the park, especially downwind of the Kilauea crater. Pregnant women, infants, young children, and those with respiratory or heart conditions are encouraged to stay away from possible areas where high concentrations of sulfur dioxide are present.

Named the Kaa Hoola, which means “vehicle of revitalization and well-being” in Hawaiian, the mobile medical van will provide improved access to health care for Big Island residents that live in more rural areas. The van is intended to address the healthcare needs of all community members, but will initially provide basic health exams to Ka’u public school students. Starting the availability of the van at a public school will help organizers asses how needed the van is.

Kaa Hoola’s program manager, Debra Barra said “We are very excited about expanding our services to include mobile health care outreach in remote rural areas. We will begin our efforts with the underserved children of South Kona by working with the public schools. We hope to significantly increase the well-being and disease prevention in these communities.”

Residents will be able to see the van for the first time, and even take a ride in it on Saturday March 10.

The van will operate at Pahala High school for the first six months providing services to public school students, where it will then transition into assisting the general public.

The mobile medical facility has a spacious exam room, both indoor and outdoor reception areas, a lab, and refrigerated storage space. Not only will students be able to get vaccinations, immunizations, and school physicals, staff members will also be able to offer screenings and health education.

Funding to build Kaa Hoola came from the state, which was approved by the 2009 legislature. Kona Community Hospital will use their medical expertise and staff to coordinate the offered services, they will own the van, and funding will be provided by the HMSA for the first two years.

The Kona Brewers Festival is an annual event designed to promote the microbrewery revolution in Hawaii. Their press release states that the Kona Brewers Festival wants to encourage professional brewers and chefs to work together.

The event will be held on Saturday March 10 at 2:30pm. At the event will be 35 breweries from Hawaii and the mainland who will be tapping up to 2 types of beer each; the beers you’ll taste at the festival will range in style and flavor, and will suit the casual beer drinker or the polished connoisseur.

Chefs from 30 of the Big Island’s best restaurants will serve tastes of island style food, including barbeque meats and savor sweets. The event will be kicked off by a hula and oli (chant).

On the venue’s stage will be live music to entertain, and also the annual trash fashion show, which is very popular at the festival. Participants in the trash fashion show create whimsical attire from completely recycled stuff, such as trash bags, plastic bottles; all to raise awareness for the importance of recycling.

Surrounding the main event on Saturday, March 10, are a few other events that help raise funds for Big Island beneficiaries. On Thursday March 8^th was the beer and food pairing dinner, Friday March 9^th is the charity golf tournament held at Big Island Country Club, and Saturday morning before the beginning of the Kona Brewers Festival is the Walk/Run for Hops.

This fun filled event is anticipated by Big Island locals, and is a great chance for guests to the island to taste what micro breweries in Hawai’i can do.

The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory on the Big Island releases a daily update on the status of the eruptions and activity in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

According to their release for February 24^th, there has been a seismic swarm happening to the northwest of the summit of Kilauea.  From the Pu’u ‘O’o crater an orange glow was visible from sources on the upper tube system on the east flank. Southeast of Pu’u ’O’o there are some active surface flows, but there were active flows on the coastal plain or entering the ocean.

Ka ‘oiki is the area where many of the seismic tremors have been recorded saw increased activity which included two magnitude-4+ earthquakes. In the past 24 hours there have been more than 70 additional earthquakes.

From the east rift vents and flow field comes a hazard summary; near-vent areas could erupt or collapse without warning with spatter and/or ash being wafted within the gas plume; potentially-lethal concentrations of sulfur dioxide gas may be present within 1 km downwind of vent areas.

The United States Geological Survey’s (USGS) Hawaii Volcanoes Observatory (HVO) recorded an earthquake swarm which began around 1:17 a.m. on February 22.

According to the release the earthquakes were located about 3 miles north-northwest of Kilauea volcano’s summit, near Namakanipaio in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, and were located at depths of about 1-3 miles.

As of 3:00 p.m. on February 22 the swarm had produced more than 60 earthquakes, the largest being a magnitude-3.2, 14 of the 22 earthquakes were of magnitude-2 or greater. The earthquakes are occurring on the Ka’oiki pali, which is a fault near the boundary between Mauna Loa and Kilauea.

 The release continues…

Previous earthquake swarms have occurred along the Ka‘oiki seismic zone in 1990, 1993, 1997, and, most recently, in February-March 2006. These swarms lasted from 1 day to several weeks, with earthquakes rarely exceeding magnitude-4.

 Seismic swarms in the Ka‘oiki area have sometimes heralded changes in Kilauea’s ongoing east rift zone eruption, but as of this writing, HVO monitoring networks have not detected any apparent changes in Kilauea’s summit or east rift zone eruptions or on Mauna Loa resulting from today’s swarm.

For more information on recent earthquakes in Hawai‘i and eruption updates, visit the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory website at hvo.wr.usgs.gov