3 Volcanoes in my Neighborhood

[Trox]

Living on the Pacific Ring of Fire I'm fortunate to have three active stratovolcanoes along with one semi-dormant one all within sight from the right vantage point. I was out this evening practicing some flight maneuvers as the sun was setting so I took this shot to capture 3 of the 4 volcanoes in my neighborhood. On the far left as a tiny 'bump' in the red/orange is Mt. Augustine rising 4,000 feet from the sea floor that has erupted several times since I arrived here 50 years ago. In the middle is 10,000' Mt. Illiamna, semi-dormant and steams frequently and then 10,000' Mt. Redoubt which has had several explosive eruptions and active periods while I've been here. Off frame to the right is the 4th volcano Mt. Spurr which has also put on an explosive show several times since 1970 and had some great volcanic lightning in the ash cloud.
[1/60 @ f2.8, auto ISO @129, auto white balance, jpg]

 

[Franlac]

C'est net et c'est super beau incroyable !!

 

[HiloHawaiian]

in Hawaii, volcanos are just big BBQ’s

 

[Trox]

LOL. Unfortunately the island volcanoes don't discriminate between barbecuing hot dogs and unfortunate residents' homes. I had a friend with a house half way up one of the slopes on the Big Island but lost track of her many years ago. When I see the news clips showing the encroachment of lava on the subdivisions I wonder if she was one of the victims. Before the eruptions it was a 'dream come true Paradise.' That pillow lava looks so "innocent."

 

[HiloHawaiian]

LOL. Unfortunately the island volcanoes don't discriminate between barbecuing hot dogs and unfortunate residents' homes. I had a friend with a house half way up one of the slopes on the Big Island but lost track of her many years ago. When I see the news clips showing the encroachment of lava on the subdivisions I wonder if she was one of the victims. Before the eruptions it was a 'dream come true Paradise.' That pillow lava looks so "innocent."

You'd never know it by the horrendously misleading news coverage, but I don't think any homes have been damaged near the slope of any Hawaiian volcano since 1984's Mauna Loa eruption. The vast majority of lava flowing on the Big Island in the last century has been in a relatively flat 10 sq. mi. area along the coast in the Puna District. Some happen upslope at the Pu'u O'o vent of the Kilauea Volcano, but that's all in the Volcano National Park, no houses. The flat area with homes is isolated, atop a massive pool of lava (Eastern Rift Zone). Rift Zones are typical of shield volcanos that are mostly lava, not ash. It's a place where fountains of lava appear out of nowhere. First small earthquakes, then cracks in the ground that vent steam, then lava spurts. No explosions, no ash, just get in your car and drive away. If the roads are blocked, you walk away, lava. 300+ homes were lost in 2018, but not a single person. Since it happens so often, most folks keep one car packed, ready to go. They choose to live in lava zone 1, which means you can't get a mortgage or home insurance. It's absolutely insane to live there, but the state allows it. This time, they said they aren't going to rebuilt water lines (too much uphill/downhill from lava), but that won't stop some folks from building illegal structures on the rock anyway.

A ranger told me I could "get as close as I wanted to" to this slow lava flowing over a cliff. He was chuckling, knowing I'd hit a wall of intense heat that would stop a Brontosaurus in its tracks. It's like your skin will spontaneously combust if you take one more step. You instantly stop, start sweating intensely, and walk backwards.....Grrrrrrrr

 

[Trox]

It's a place where fountains of lava appear out of nowhere. First small earthquakes, then cracks in the ground that vent steam, then lava spurts. No explosions, no ash, just get in your car and drive away. If the roads are blocked, you walk away, lava. 300+ homes were lost in 2018, but not a single person. Since it happens so often, most folks keep one car packed, ready to go.

I watched some interesting "progression" video footage during the recent Hawaii lava flow events, perhaps it was on PBS, that showed what you describe. A crack in the ground, soon some steam as the heat approaches the surface, then lava starts oozing out, then over a period of time the Rift opens like someone unzipping the Earth's giant zipper.

There were two earthly events that all my youth I hoped to experience one day. One was a volcanic eruption in person, which I've had the opportunity to experience in Hawaii and Alaska on quite a few occasions now. The other, a major earthquake. I missed the mega quake of 1964 in Alaska by 6 years but since then I have had a 7.2 shaker hit the house while I was in fact wide awake in the middle of the night. It still wasn't the "big one" on my list but I got a taste of what the real thing will be like. (I'm never anywhere, even when sleeping, that I don't have a DSLR or camcorder within arm's reach.) I guess you could say I've always been a thrill seeker, but NOT a chance taker. Momma didn't raise no dummy! LOL I'll leave the wing-flying base jumpers and extreme snow skiers & boarders to their own demise!

Oh and BTW, that is why I don't live in Tornado Alley (or Flood Alley or Hurricane Alley) in the Lower 48....which due to Climate Change appears to have spread to just about every state now except AK and Hawaii. Add to that all the new outbreaks of diseases and invasive species down in the States and I'll continue to remain in my little piece of paradise that has a big buffer zone between me and all those nasties.

Batteries are charged. I'm off to assess the 167,000 acre wildfire devastation that occurred over the past few months right here in my backyard. Never a dull moment!

 

[HiloHawaiian]

I watched some interesting "progression" video footage during the recent Hawaii lava flow events, perhaps it was on PBS, that showed what you describe. A crack in the ground, soon some steam as the heat approaches the surface, then lava starts oozing out, then over a period of time the Rift opens like someone unzipping the Earth's giant zipper.

There were two earthly events that all my youth I hoped to experience one day. One was a volcanic eruption in person, which I've had the opportunity to experience in Hawaii and Alaska on quite a few occasions now. The other, a major earthquake. I missed the mega quake of 1964 in Alaska by 6 years but since then I have had a 7.2 shaker hit the house while I was in fact wide awake in the middle of the night. It still wasn't the "big one" on my list but I got a taste of what the real thing will be like. (I'm never anywhere, even when sleeping, that I don't have a DSLR or camcorder within arm's reach.) I guess you could say I've always been a thrill seeker, but NOT a chance taker. Momma didn't raise no dummy! LOL I'll leave the wing-flying base jumpers and extreme snow skiers & boarders to their own demise!

Oh and BTW, that is why I don't live in Tornado Alley (or Flood Alley or Hurricane Alley) in the Lower 48....which due to Climate Change appears to have spread to just about every state now except AK and Hawaii. Add to that all the new outbreaks of diseases and invasive species down in the States and I'll continue to remain in my little piece of paradise that has a big buffer zone between me and all those nasties.

Batteries are charged. I'm off to assess the 167,000 acre wildfire devastation that occurred over the past few months right here in my backyard. Never a dull moment!

OMG earthquakes.....I’ve been through several, 2 big ones. They’re not fun at all. You have no warning, no control, no nothin’. You don’t know how strong they will get, how long they will last, or whether it’s safer to say where you are or try to get outside. The aftershocks can last for days, some pretty strong. You get jumpy. I remember the last big one in California, I jumped when a truck drove by for a month...