"Lava from the Kilauea eruption has boiled away Hawaii's largest freshwater lake in just a matter of hours.
In a statement released on June 2, the U.S. Geological Survey explained that lava from the eruption's fissure 8 entered Green Lake and boiled its water away, sending a white plume high into the sky.
USGS tweeted that lava entered Green Lake at 10 AM local time. By 3PM, Hawaii County Fire Department confirmed that the lake had filled and that its water had evaporated." foxnews.com/science/2018/06/12/hawaii-volcano-kilauea-lava-boiled-away-big-islands-largest-freshwater-lake.html
This discussion has been archived.
No new comments can be posted.
Hawaii Volcano: Kilauea Lava Boiled Away Big Island's Largest Freshwater Lake
|
Log In/Create an Account
| Top
| 63 comments
| Search Discussion
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.
(1)
(1)
(Score: 4, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday June 13 2018, @07:29PM (9 children)
For some reason, this bothers me:
Was there a (D) after Kilauea?
(Score: 2, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday June 13 2018, @07:51PM (3 children)
Well, absolutely in character for the submitter, but might tell something about the editors...
But certainly it's the ridiculous Green Lake that had the (D) - and isn't the name telling! - while the victorious Kilauea would have carried the (R), if not a TRUMP in all caps.
(Score: 2) by frojack on Wednesday June 13 2018, @09:15PM (1 child)
And your comment perfectly in character for an AC.
Prove the story wrong, or STFU.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday June 13 2018, @09:50PM
Whoosh
(Score: 1) by Sulla on Wednesday June 13 2018, @09:54PM
https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/erik-wemple/wp/2017/09/12/study-91-percent-of-recent-network-trump-coverage-has-been-negative/?utm_term=.b08e91478ec4 [washingtonpost.com]
Even fox has more negative coverage than Trump than positive.
Ceterum censeo Sinae esse delendam
(Score: 2) by richtopia on Wednesday June 13 2018, @09:21PM (3 children)
It may be a science story, but the embedded video still feels very Fox New. Big headlines in all caps and bolding point words in red. Such as:
(Score: 5, Funny) by JoeMerchant on Wednesday June 13 2018, @09:47PM
Still can't get it right, can they?
WHICH WAS ABOUT 200 FEET DEEP.
🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 4, Informative) by Fluffeh on Wednesday June 13 2018, @09:54PM
It's a fresh story on Fox it seems, but amusingly it was covered on other sites around a week or more ago (note the date in the URL below from NPR)
https://www.npr.org/2018/06/07/617860832/lava-from-kilauea-boils-away-freshwater-lake-in-hawaii [npr.org]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 14 2018, @08:00AM
And Soy is SO on top of the news that the June 2nd arrives on the 11th. Whoopee, 1970 called, seems they're still on hold!
(Score: 2) by DeathMonkey on Thursday June 14 2018, @05:45PM
For some reason, this bothers me: foxnews.com/science/
Fox News concedes the existence of Volcanoes because Global Warming.
It's every other part of Geology they misinform their audience about.
(Score: 4, Interesting) by PartTimeZombie on Wednesday June 13 2018, @08:08PM (13 children)
I live in a city built on something like 50 volcanoes, the youngest of which is only 600 years old.
None of them are erupting at the moment, but when I see the videos from Hawaii I feel like I ought to be more worried than I am.
Wikipedia reassures me that the volcanic field is dormant. Whatever that means.
(Score: 3, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday June 13 2018, @08:54PM (3 children)
Of course it is dormant. You wouldn't need me to tell you if it were not: earthquakes, eruption noise and your neighbourhood flattened by lava flows are hard-to-miss signs of non-dormancy, even for the uninitiated.
(Score: 5, Funny) by bob_super on Wednesday June 13 2018, @09:39PM (2 children)
Please update wikipedia before trying to outrun the pyroclastic flows.
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Wednesday June 13 2018, @09:56PM (1 child)
And do not text and drive...
🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 2) by coolgopher on Thursday June 14 2018, @01:30AM
But make sure you also periscope/twitch/insta/whatever the view in the rear view mirror on the way out...
(Score: 5, Informative) by The Archon V2.0 on Wednesday June 13 2018, @09:08PM (1 child)
> Wikipedia reassures me that the volcanic field is dormant. Whatever that means.
Don't worry, I'm sure that if there's an eruption during Wikipedia's lifetime, someone will update the page once the lava's flowing through the streets.
And then it will be reverted as original research.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday June 13 2018, @10:43PM
Hopefully it will last long enough to be cited by a news story, which can then be used a basis for re-editing the wikipedia page. ;-)
(Score: 3, Funny) by JoeMerchant on Wednesday June 13 2018, @09:51PM (3 children)
It's like Maui, and Mt. Saint Helens - they're dormant until they're not.
🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 2) by PartTimeZombie on Wednesday June 13 2018, @10:07PM (2 children)
Oh good. br.
That's got me feeling better then.
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Wednesday June 13 2018, @10:57PM (1 child)
On Mt. Saint Helens they had suspicions for years, and pretty strong warnings 3 months ahead of the big boom:
https://sciencing.com/were-eruption-mount-saint-helens-8204440.html [sciencing.com]
🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 2) by PartTimeZombie on Wednesday June 13 2018, @11:31PM
Our local museum has a fantstic interactive volcano exhibit, and they assure us that there will be some warning, (they think).
If there is an eruption, I will just blame the government. It's a policy that has served me well.
(Score: 2) by looorg on Wednesday June 13 2018, @11:16PM
Are they not all dormant until the moment that they are not dormant anymore ... which is usually when you get a hot golden shower of lava?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 14 2018, @03:49AM
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 14 2018, @08:02AM
Ah, Orc-Land in LOTR. 50 volcanoes would cause about $30 (real value) in cleanup of the accumulated garbage.
(Score: 3, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday June 13 2018, @08:16PM
https://youtu.be/TIEnMyl-6Qo [youtu.be]
(Score: 4, Interesting) by Snotnose on Wednesday June 13 2018, @08:30PM (19 children)
When this whole thing started with the lava getting close to it's first house one of the news droids was interviewing some guy. He said "Why doesn't the fire department come out and help us?".
I'd love to see that news droid track this idiot down and ask "So, still think the fire department is gonna help?".
When the dust settled America realized it was saved by a porn star.
(Score: 4, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday June 13 2018, @08:33PM (4 children)
"Yeah, they could use their hoses to refill our lake."
(Score: 2, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday June 13 2018, @11:48PM (3 children)
Actually, they probably could. Though this was the largest fresh water lake in Hawaii, there were only two fresh water lakes in Hawaii. This lake measured less than 100m X 100m.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 14 2018, @05:21AM (2 children)
So they call little ponds "lake" in Hawai... hmmm
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 14 2018, @02:59PM (1 child)
Maybe "lake" was the native word for "pond" and it just stuck?
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Thursday June 14 2018, @05:09PM
I think a left wing liberal conspiracy is a more likely explanation for using the word lake to refer to a pond.
To transfer files: right-click on file, pick Copy. Unplug mouse, plug mouse into other computer. Right-click, paste.
(Score: 2) by tangomargarine on Wednesday June 13 2018, @09:03PM
I get that you're being sarcastic about something, but what is your point?
"Is that really true?" "I just spent the last hour telling you to think for yourself! Didn't you hear anything I said?"
(Score: 5, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday June 13 2018, @09:32PM (1 child)
(Score: 2) by Fluffeh on Wednesday June 13 2018, @10:00PM
Most informative link in the threads on this post!
(Score: 0, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday June 13 2018, @09:38PM (4 children)
Back around 1935 the Army dropped bombs in the volcano to try and deviate or stop the flow. Before that Pele got virgins thrown in, but that probably wouldn't work today due to a shortage. I think the best way to stop a volcano would be by throwing every SJW and Hillary fan into the caldera, and top that off with a nuke.
(Score: 4, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday June 13 2018, @11:16PM (1 child)
Finally! A career path for incels!! No shortage of virgins there, and Pele being a Goddess, male virgins are probably more super effective!
(Score: 1, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 14 2018, @02:27AM
Naah. With a temper like that, she's definitely a lesbian.
(Score: 2) by JeanCroix on Thursday June 14 2018, @12:49PM
You imbecile, everyone knows that Xenu tried that millions of years ago. And all that happened is that nowadays we're plagued with these pesky body thetans.
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Thursday June 14 2018, @05:10PM
A number of atomic bombs could be used to re-route the lava and improve the lives of everyone on the island.
To transfer files: right-click on file, pick Copy. Unplug mouse, plug mouse into other computer. Right-click, paste.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by frojack on Wednesday June 13 2018, @09:41PM (4 children)
Actually, lava flows have been steered via water cooling in a number of instances.
https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1997/of97-724/lavacool.html [usgs.gov]
More detailed information about an Iceland water cooling project:
https://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1997/of97-724/methods.html [usgs.gov]
Water flows necessary to actually cool the lava leading edge enough to form a steering dike takes a while to set up, huge pumps and you need to do it on the right type of terrain, to steer the flow, not try to stop it. How would civil authorities decide to sacrifice one subdivision in favor of another?
Hawaii is kind of fatalistic with regard to lava flows. Its easier to just get out of the way, and it might cost less in the end.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 4, Interesting) by JoeMerchant on Wednesday June 13 2018, @10:06PM
Usually, when you do clever things to alter nature: dams, levees, causeways, channels, etc. there are unexpected prices to pay later (unpleasant ecosystem development, more dramatic flooding when it comes, accelerated erosion, etc.), and maintaining the clever structure can quickly cost more than building it in the first place. Getting clever with lava flows is like asking Pele to teach you a lesson.
🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 2) by cubancigar11 on Thursday June 14 2018, @05:24AM (2 children)
I going to patent an idea right now: Use all the plastic garbage USA dumps in the ocean to build a wall around lava to divert its flow. There will never be shortage of plastic and ocean will get clean. The only downside is all the poisonous fumes but how are you going to avoid it during a volcano anyway?
(Score: 2) by frojack on Thursday June 14 2018, @03:44PM (1 child)
The US does not dump plastic or garbage in the Ocean. So file your patent claims in south east Asia.
And do a little research maybe.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 2) by cubancigar11 on Thursday June 14 2018, @06:37PM
Fine man we get the garbage from wherever. Patented ideas are country agnostic because ideas are country agnostic. Way to miss the meat for the skin.
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Wednesday June 13 2018, @10:00PM
Well, RDT summed it up for that crew, this is in their unexpected-consequences dept.
OTOH, the fire dept. could have pitched in a hand first getting people evacuated, and second maybe helping to save some property if there wasn't any risk to life and limb in doing so.
🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday June 13 2018, @08:35PM (10 children)
Anyone see anything about this lakes volume? I can't find it anywhere.
Of course wikipedia lists it as a "former lake" already. But the pictures it has of it don't make it appear very large.
(Score: 2) by AthanasiusKircher on Wednesday June 13 2018, @08:53PM (8 children)
Yeah, I think this was a pretty small lake. Wikipedia claims it was 200 feet deep, and numerous news sources have repeated that, but state data files [hawaii.gov] from Hawaii say its maximum depth is only 20 feet, with a surface area of 2 acres.
(Just wondering aloud -- does no one do anything like fact-checking anymore, or just accept whatever BS Wikipedia serves up? Of course, this was the first official state data file I could find, so it may not necessarily be accurate -- but 200 feet deep vs. 20 feet is a huge difference.)
That's a pretty small lake. May have been important (as not many freshwater lakes in Hawaii) but sounds tiny as bodies of water go.
(Score: 2) by AthanasiusKircher on Wednesday June 13 2018, @09:09PM
Found this [bishopmuseum.org] survey of Hawaiian lakes, which includes a detailed map of the lake with depth indicated on page 6, indicating maximum depth between 6 and 7 meters (about 20 feet).
Perhaps all the "200 feet deep" sources might be fake news.
(Score: 2) by bob_super on Wednesday June 13 2018, @09:44PM (3 children)
> That's a pretty small lake. May have been important (as not many freshwater lakes in Hawaii) but sounds tiny as bodies of water go.
That's still a lot of water to boil off in less than 5 hours. Maybe I should move there, the kids will get their pasta a whole lot faster than with my not-really-puny gas range.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday June 13 2018, @10:18PM
I think you mean your Puna lava range.
(Score: 4, Interesting) by AthanasiusKircher on Wednesday June 13 2018, @11:24PM (1 child)
True. With a back-of-envelope calculation, I think it probably would require somewhere around 4.5 gigawatts of power over those 5 hours to evaporate water at that rate. (Someone else can check the math, but I think it's around that magnitude.)
Of course, on the other hand, the volume of the lake was probably only on the order of a million cubic feet. Meanwhile, the current eruption has produced something like 4 billion cubic feet of lava... And a cubic foot of lava could roughly evaporate a cubic foot of water as it cools, so this lake is a tiny fraction of the heat energy produced in the eruption.
(Score: 3, Funny) by JeanCroix on Thursday June 14 2018, @12:55PM
Wow, that's enough power for three trips to 1985!
(Score: 4, Interesting) by FatPhil on Wednesday June 13 2018, @10:01PM (1 child)
As added by "Sounder Bruce" who self-identifies as "I am Bruce Englehardt, board member of Cascadia Wikimedians User Group. I primarily edit articles about the Puget Sound region and Washington, with an emphasis on transportation and the built environment."
As someone who seems to do many dozens of edits a day, sometimes up to a hundred, he seems to satisfy the stereotype of "those who do many dozens of wikipedia edits, sometimes up to a hundred, a day are actually useless cunts" that a group of data scientists concluded (albeit with slightly different words) a few years ago.
Well done, Bruce Englehardt - pat yourself on the back, you're now officially a flag-waving member of the "I am part of the problem" club.
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Wednesday June 13 2018, @10:09PM
What Bruce forgot to mention was that the 200' deep point in the lake was in a lava tube 6' wide, which silted over in the 1950s.... (also fake news...)
🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Wednesday June 13 2018, @10:02PM
Shield volcanoes generally don't make big scooped out shapes that hold water (other in the caldera).
Not when the checked facts are less sensational than the easy to find ones.
🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Thursday June 14 2018, @05:12PM
Most lakes are quiet. Probably this one was also.
To transfer files: right-click on file, pick Copy. Unplug mouse, plug mouse into other computer. Right-click, paste.
(Score: 1) by Sulla on Wednesday June 13 2018, @08:55PM (3 children)
Were there any species of plant/animal that were unique to this body of water?
Ceterum censeo Sinae esse delendam
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday June 13 2018, @11:02PM
Yes, the Green Lake pickerel. RIP
(Score: 2) by Gaaark on Thursday June 14 2018, @01:06AM (1 child)
That was my thought: was there something there that RAIN couldn't replace.
Hoping someone there was collecting animals both male and female in some kind of big wooden ship in order to replace the loss.
--- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
(Score: 4, Funny) by Sulla on Thursday June 14 2018, @01:49AM
Unsure if big wooden ship is best option given the circumstances.
Ceterum censeo Sinae esse delendam
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday June 13 2018, @09:35PM (2 children)
It would be expensive but not too difficult to remove the solified lava and volcanic ash.
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Wednesday June 13 2018, @10:12PM (1 child)
Sort of like building up Florida's coastal developments to keep pace with rising sea level... yeah, that's going to go well.
🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 14 2018, @03:59AM
Import a few dykes from Holland, stick a finger in them and feel the rainbow love