Hawaii Volcanoes National Park continues its tradition of sharing Hawaiian culture and After Dark in the Park programs with the community and visitors this month.
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park continues its tradition of sharing Hawaiian culture and After Dark in the Park programs with the community and visitors this month.
January also is Volcano Awareness Month, established by the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. All programs are free, but park entrance fees apply. Programs are co-sponsored by the Hawaii Pacific Parks Association, and donations help support park programs. Here are the upcoming events:
— “Kilauea Volcano’s East Rift Zone: 31 Years and Still Erupting.” This will be from 7 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 7, in the Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium.
Friday marks the 31st anniversary of Kilauea Volcano’s ongoing East Rift Zone eruption. During its first three years, spectacular lava fountains spewed episodically from the Pu‘u ‘O‘o vent. Since then, nearly continuous lava effusion has built a vast plain of pahoehoe lava that stretches from the volcano’s rift zone to the sea.
Although the eruption has produced dramatic lava flows in past years, it has been relatively subdued in recent years, with mostly steady, but unusually weak, activity. Tim Orr, a geologist with the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, will review highlights from the past 31 years and talk about recent developments on the volcano’s East Rift Zone.
This program is part of Hawaii Volcanoes’ ongoing After Dark in the Park series.
— “Traditional Lei-making.” This will be from 10 a.m. to noon on Wednesday, Jan. 8, on the Kilauea Visitor Center lanai.
Ab Kawainohoikala‘i Valencia is a kumu hula, or teacher of hula. He has taught his students at Halau Hula Kalehuaki‘eki‘eika‘iu since 1996, where lei-making is a vital and important part of their tradition. Join Valencia and his wife, Puamae‘ole O’Mahoney, as they continue to teach traditional lei-making. This is part of Hawaii Volcanoes’ ongoing ‘Ike Hana No‘eau “Experience the Skillful Work” workshops.
— “Happenings in Halema‘uma‘u: An Update on Kilauea Volcano’s Summit Eruption.” This program will be from 7 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 14, in the Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium.
In March 2008, a new volcanic vent opened within Halema‘uma‘u Crater at the summit of Kilauea. Since then, the eruption has consisted of continuous degassing, occasional explosive events, and fluctuating lava lake activity in an open crater that is now 520-by-690-feet in size. While thousands of visitors flock to see the nighttime glow emitted by the lava lake, the volcano’s summit eruption also provides an abundance of data and insights for scientists.
USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologist Matt Patrick will present an update on Kilauea Volcano’s summit eruption, including an overview of the volcanic processes occurring within the vent. This is part of Hawaii Volcanoes’ ongoing After Dark in the Park series.
— “Kai Ho‘opi‘i in Concert.” This event will be from 6:30 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 15, in the Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium.
Come enjoy an evening of Hawaiian music, through the sweet voice of Kai Ho‘opi‘i, sharing the music of his ohana from Kahakuloa, Maui. He is a winner of the Aloha Festivals Hawaiian falsetto singing contest. This is part of Hawaii Volcanoes’ ongoing Na Leo Manu “Heavenly Voices” presentations.
— “Earthquakes and Explosions: Shocking events at Kapoho and Halema‘uma‘u in 1924.” Learn about this important part of Hawaii history from 7 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 21, in the Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium.
In April 1924, Kapoho residents were evacuated as hundreds of earthquakes shook their village. In the weeks that followed, huge explosions wracked the summit of Kilauea Volcano. Using USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory logs, geologic field notes, National Park Service reports, newspaper accounts, photographs, and other records from 1924, Ben Gaddis, a long-time HVO volunteer, will tell the story of Kilauea Volcano’s most violent eruption of the 20th century from the perspective of the people who lived through it. This is part of Hawaii Volcanoes’ ongoing After Dark in the Park series.
— “Kapa Kuiki: Traditional Hawaiian Quilting.” This will take place from 10 a.m. to noon on Wednesday, Jan. 22, on the Kilauea Visitor Center lanai.
Cyndy Leinani Martinez has been practicing the art of kapa kuiki since she was old enough to hold a needle, learning from her mother and grandmother about the family craft. Always passionate, Martinez has kept the family traditions alive for more than 60 years, and is now president of the quilting club in Waimea. Join this experienced, third-generation quilter as she shares the traditional art of Hawaiian quilting in a free ‘Ike Hana No‘eau “Experience the Skillful Work” workshop.
— “Decades of Degassing at Kilauea: Wake Up and Smell the Coughing!” Learn from the experts at this talk from 7 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 28, in the Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium.
As magma rises from the Earth’s mantle to the surface, the expansion of volcanic gases drives the spectacular lava fountains and flows erupted by Hawaiian volcanoes. While Kilauea still produces picturesque lava flows from its East Rift Zone, and its summit crater hosts a dynamic lava pond, it also releases huge amounts of volcanic gases which have negatively impacted downwind communities, agriculture and infrastructure for years.
Jeff Sutton and Tamar Elias, USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geochemists, will offer an update about these gases, especially those related to the 2008‐2013 activity at Halema‘uma‘u Crater, and will talk about volcanic pollution, or vog — how it forms and what we’ve learned about its effects on our island environment. An optional “gas-tasting” party will follow the talk. This is part of the ongoing After Dark in the Park series.
For more information, visit www.nps.gov/havo, Facebook: www.facebook.com/hawaiivolcanoes, Twitter: @PacificNPS, blog: www.pacificislandparks.com.