PAHOA, Hawaii » While lava remains stalled near Pahoa Marketplace, visitors and residents watching the so-called June 27 lava flow have a chance to learn more about volcano-related science and history during the sixth annual Volcano Awareness Month.
The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, along with Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, the University of Hawaii at Hilo and Hawaii County Civil Defense, will provide a monthlong series of programs and lectures about Big Island volcanoes.
Janet Babb, Hawaiian Volcano Observatory spokeswoman, said the January programs are informative for anyone looking to learn more about one of nature’s most powerful architects.
HVO geologist Don Swanson will give a talk, "Kilauea Volcano’s Dual Personality: A Historical Perspective," at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Kilauea Visitor Center in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. The event is free but park entrance fees still apply.
Various other lectures will be held at UH-Hilo, in Ocean View and in Kona.
Lava has remained stalled for about a week a half-mile upslope of Pahoa Marketplace and the nearby intersection of Highway 130 and Pahoa Village Road. However, Civil Defense on Monday reported surface activity and widening about 300 yards upslope of the front.
Two breakouts along the north margin, about 1 to 1.5 miles behind the flow front, remained active. The breakouts had advanced about 105 yards to the northeast since Saturday. Breakouts farther upslope, near a geothermal well pad, were also active, the observatory said.
Since the Kilauea Volcano lava reached the Pahoa area in October, it has crossed a street, flowed into a Buddhist cemetery, destroyed multiple structures, burned a house and penetrated the fence line of the Pahoa Recycling and Transfer Station where current public viewing is located.
For more information about Volcano Awareness Month visit hvo.wr.usgs.gov.
