Dispatches From Kilauea: Reflections on the Eruption
Numerous Michigan Tech alumni and faculty are part of the response and research effort on
Volcanoes are an ongoing source of fear and fascination for humanity. The heat and destructive power are both harbingers of destruction and heralds of creation.
Alumni, past post-doctoral researchers and faculty have all played a part in the
The volcano's eruption has been called a once-in-a-generation opportunity for scientific research, but it has also been hugely disruptive and damaging to communities and area tourism. The volcanologists, geologists, geochemists and other scientists who have been called to
Response
"I came out here with some research projects in mind and I'm still hoping to complete those projects, but when the eruptions started and activity really picked up at the end of April, I became more involved in day-to-day monitoring as well," Waite says.
Heeding the call from
"Some homeowners are waiting until the last minute to leave their homes as lava approaches. First responders are waiting for
Responders are essentially reacting to two different eruptions--explosions and gas emissions. Ash is hazardous to aviation and health, as is sulfur gas emissions. Both air quality and encroaching lava create ongoing threats to private property and infrastructure, including a geothermal electric plant and cell phone towers.
"This is an eruption that has posed significant and widespread impacts to local communities. When large events happen there aren't enough staff at any of the five
Schneider's expertise is in volcanic ash and explosive eruptions. He's one of 15
Schneider has been working with the
"We answer questions throughout the day and try to take some of the scientific information and explain in a way that makes sense to non-volcanologists," he says.
The incredible amount of data scientists are grappling with presents its own problem; processing data from sensors, satellites and other measurements takes teams of people to create knowledge from information and apply it to a rapidly changing situation.
Schneider speculates that the application of the knowledge regarding lava hazards may have had some unintended consequences for people living in the lower east rift zone.
"In 1992, the
Hawaiian real estate is infamously expensive, and neighborhoods like the
"By having scientists say this is a dangerous place, the economic side of things was that property was more affordable," Schneider says. "All over the world people with fewer means end up living in the most hazardous areas. People get pushed into places economically they wouldn't necessarily choose to be. It remains to be seen to what extent publication of hazard zone maps may have played in the development of the region impacted by lava flows, but it is a topic that deserves further research."
Schneider said that while the research opportunities at the eruption are exciting, the scientists feel sadness for those who have lost their homes to the lava flow.
Research
The
"Earth scientists in general think a lot about processes," Waite said. "We don't think of the Earth as a static body. This is a very complicated system underneath
Waite researches magma movement and gas emissions through the lens of seismic and infrasound (low frequency sound) data. In fall 2017 he set out an array of infrasound sensors at the crater of
"I got some really good data in the fall and early on this year from arrays in good locations," Waite said. "With the
Unfortunately, in the past month the sensors have stopped working, likely because the solar panels that provide them power are covered in volcanic ash, and it's too dangerous for Waite to dust them off, given their proximity to the expanding crater.
Waite says that at this point the volcano doesn't show signs of slowing. Since 1983, the overall eruption has periodically increased and decreased given a deep supply of magma in the Earth's mantle below the volcano. As long as that supply continues, so will the eruptions. Waite said there could be periods of lower activity for years or even decades, but the eruption will resume and continue until the Pacific tectonic plate moves
In the meantime, Michigan Tech's geological engineering program will continue to produce volcanologists to study these volatile and important features of Earth's geophysical system. The sheer number of people affiliated with Tech responding to the situation is proof of that.
"The volcano community is small," Schneider says. "There are not that many places to study volcanoes in the world. There are only a couple thousand volcanologists in the world; you know most everybody."
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