Lyman Museum presents ‘The Growing Volcanic Risk at Kilauea and Mauna Loa’

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Courtesy of USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory and scientist-in-charge Tina Neal In-line multiple fissures at Leilani Estates in mid May 2018. Residences at left.
Michael P. Ryan/USGS Field crew at Pu‘u ‘O‘o during the episodic eruption series in the summer of 1985. Location is uprift of the 2018 lava flow’s fissure 8 in Leilani Estates, within Kilauea’s East Rift Zone.
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From May 3 to early August 2018, Kilauea volcano erupted from two sites with a pattern and vigor not seen in the past 200 years.

Summit eruptions and repeated caldera collapses sent magma reservoir roof blocks into the molten reservoir below, triggering earthquakes and sending surges of magma into East Rift Zone conduits. Some 38 km away, voluminous lava eruptions within the lower East Rift Zone devastated communities, laying waste to homes, farms and coastal resorts.

These distant and seemingly different eruptions were in fact intimately connected. In addition, Mauna Loa is currently slowly building toward eruption; it, too, contains rift zones that loom over settled areas and contribute to a significant and now potentially more dangerous volcanic risk.

Michael Ryan of the Magma Physics Project in Hilo will explain and illustrates these critical interrelationships as part of the Lyman Museum’s next Patricia E. Saigo Public Program Series event titled “The Growing Volcanic Risk at Kilauea and Mauna Loa.”

The presentation will be presented from 7-8:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 24, and 3-4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 25.

Admission is free to museum members or $3 for nonmembers.

Because of COVID-19 safety restrictions, masks that meet the guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention must be worn and physical distancing observed. Temperature checks will be taken before patrons enter the museum.

Seating is therefore very limited; seats must be reserved in advance by calling the museum during business hours, and audience members must check in at the front desk prior to the presentation.

Check in begins at 6:30 p.m. Monday and 2:30 p.m. Tuesday.

First called, first reserved.

The Lyman Museum is located at 276 Haili St. in Hilo. To reserve seating, call 935-5021. For more information, visit www.lymanmuseum.org.