Volcano Watch: April is Tsunami Awareness Month in Hawaii
It’s official! Governor Green recently proclaimed that April is again Tsunami Awareness Month for the State of Hawaii. This is not to be confused with World Tsunami Awareness Day, which is Nov. 5.
Tropical Gardening: Easter is a time for hope and aloha
Easter and spring remind us that our gardens burst with new life even in the tropics. It brings out the best in our nature. However, it is important to know how to keep our landscapes happy.
Robotaxis aim to take San Francisco on ride into the future
SAN FRANCISCO — Two trailblazing ride-hailing services are heading toward uncharted territory as they seek regulatory approval to transport passengers around the clock throughout one of the most densely populated U.S. cities in vehicles that will have no one sitting in the driver’s seat.
Let’s Talk Food: Easter Eggs
This Sunday is Easter Sunday and we often think of an Easter egg hunt. But do you know eggs have always been such an integral part of Easter?
Volcano Watch: Using water cannon experiments to improve understanding of volcanic blasts
The 1980 Mount St. Helens eruption in Washington State illustrated the hazards and impacts of lateral (ground-hugging) volcanic blasts on natural landscapes and human infrastructure. The eruption devastated hundreds of square miles and killed 57 people. In the more than forty years since, several additional laterally directed explosive eruptions have occurred world-wide.
Tropical Gardening: Palm Sunday marks the beginning of the Christian Holy Week
Palms are a key component of Hawaiian gardens, and it was Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera) leaves used to greet Jesus as he entered Jerusalem the Sunday before Easter.
Let’s Talk Food: Versatile tomatoes
The tomato is an edible berry in the nightshade family, the plant Solanum lycocopericum and originated from Western South America, Mexico, and Central America. It comes from the Mexican Nahuatl word tomatl.
Volcano Watch: Pele’s hairs: a beautiful hazard on Hawaii Island
Shiny and elusive, featherlight and golden-brown. If poets were to write about rocks, I’m sure they would sing their praises of Pele’s hairs. Don’t be fooled, though, because Pele’s hairs are strands of volcanic glass, and they can pose a serious hazard.
Tropical Gardening: Spring fragrance adds another pleasure to Hawaii gardens
The sun has officially passed over the equator as the Earth dips to the south. It is now officially spring. Our weather is generally mild all year, however, there is a noticeable spring fever effect when it comes to local gardeners. This is because many flowers start heavy blooming at this time.
Let’s Talk Food: The best recipes
My dream job would be working for a newspaper that would allow me to travel the world looking for the “BEST” recipe and write about it. Christopher Kimball of Milk Street magazine does that, traveling around the world to find that perfect recipe and whenever the title says “The world’s best!” it certainly makes me take notice.
Volcano Watch: GeoSPACE: The benefits of accommodation and inclusion in geology field experiences
Scientists from the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) are collaborating with academic colleagues to make field experiences in geology more accessible for people who have been historically excluded, specifically those with disabilities.
Let’s Talk Food: Human foods that are not good for pets
During the pandemic, one out of five families added a pet to their household. With many stuck at home, a pet provided company as well as entertainment.
Relentless winter brings pros, cons for Tahoe ski resorts
RENO, Nev. — Last winter, most ski resorts at Lake Tahoe had to postpone their usual November openings because there wasn’t enough snow.
Let’s Talk Food: James Beard America’s Classics Award winner
Manago Hotel, in Captain Cook, has been named one of six winners in the prestigious James Beard Classic Award representing the Pacific and Northwest Regions for 2023. The selections are made to restaurants open for 10 years or more. I think being open since 1917 more than qualifies Manago Hotel for such an honor!
How do scientists get information about magma storage?
Analyzing lava samples can help us “see” inside a volcano, and results from the 2022 eruption of Mauna Loa gave us a window into the volcano’s plumbing system for the first time in almost 40 years.
Let’s Talk Food: Girl’s Day is this Friday
Girl’s Day or “Hinamatsuri” is on the third day of the third month, or March 3. It is when dolls that were given to the girl at birth and on her first birthday are put up for display. It is put up a week before March 3 and taken down at the end of the day of March 3, as it is believed if you leave the dolls out beyond that day, it is unlucky and may delay the girl’s marriage.
Volcano Watch: The missing slow slip events on Kilauea’s south flank
Over the past two decades, both scientists and members of the public have anticipated the occurrence of slow slip events (SSEs) on Kilauea’s south flank. These events are recorded by the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory’s continuous GPS network, which show as much as 2 cm (0.75 inches) of increased seaward motion of the flank over 2-3 days — equivalent to about an M6 earthquake.
Tropical Gardening: Azaleas and Vireya Rhododendron available at some nurseries now
Spring will soon be here as days get longer and some azaleas are showing up at a few nurseries. These are the varieties that are grown in mainland gardens where temperatures are mild, especially in the Southeast and Pacific Northwest.
Let’s Talk Food: Today is Mardi Gras
Today is Fat Tuesday, or Mardi Gras. It began as a religious holiday observed before Lent, celebrated on Shrove Tuesday, before Ash Wednesday, following the Christian liturgical calendar. Historically, it was meant to use all the fats in the home before the Lent preparation for abstinence.
Volcano Watch: Comparing crises: Mauna Loa 1984 vs Mauna Loa 2022
Mauna Loa’s recent eruption is still fresh in the minds of Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists and Island of Hawai‘i residents. Now is a good time to reflect on this event, especially in comparison to the one 38 years before it.