44 Acres of Coastline Collapses in Hawaii

44 Acres of Coastline Collapses in Hawaii

HAWAII VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK, Hawaii - About 44 acres of coastline collapsed into the ocean this week, setting loose a glowing stream of lava that shot out from the newly exposed cliffside 45 feet above the water.

The plume, 6 feet in diameter, sent up a tower of steam as it hit the water and began forming a ramp of new land.

The collapse of solidified lava shelf and sea cliff Monday was the largest since Kilauea Volcano began its current eruption in 1983.

Jim Kauahikaua, scientist-in-charge of the U.S. Geological Survey's Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, said a collapse warning was issued in June because the shelf had become large and had formed cracks. Large collapses had happened in the area before.

Rumblings tipped scientists to Monday's collapse, which took about 4 1/2 hours. Even at that relatively slow pace, the effect was spectacular.

"The cliff just caved away like a glacier," said park spokesman Jim Gale. "It just sheared off that old wall. There's this gigantic steam plume and you see the red just falling down — an incredible fire hose display."

The collapse sent out globs of lava and head-size boulders. Sheets of volcanic glass called limu o Pele, after the Hawaiian goddess of fire, and thin strands of volcanic glass known as Pele's hair were found 1,800 feet inland.

44 acres is huge!!!

I'm ashamed to admit it, but I happen to be one of the morons who ignored all the DANGER KEEP AWAY signs and walked to the very edge of where this flow meets the water. STUPID, STUPID, STUPID...I know.

Glad I wasn't there this time....




[edit on 2-12-2005 by loam]

I saw this and thought, HOLY SHIP!

...44 acres is huge when you're talkin beaches in Hawaii - but not in cattle country.

Just shows ta go ya though - the only constant is change.

1 acre. equals. 43560 sq feet
About the size of an american football field, minus the end zones.

Just in case anyone was wondering.

44 football fields...pretty big...

Originally posted by soficrow
...44 acres is huge when you're talkin beaches in Hawaii - but not in cattle country.

LOL

Proving once again, everything is relative....

Isn't there a threat that a lot larger chunk is threatening to fall off one of the islands there?

I've been Dogpiling like crazy trying to find the story, but I do remember a television show about it. There was a huge rift along one of the active islands and what it talked about was that when it goes, it would create a massive tidal wave directed towards Australia.

dunno masqua

It would be great if you could find that link.

This has been going on for YEARS. It has nothing to do with rifts or anything else, but the lava flow. The lava builds up the shelf, and then flows through tubes under it, when the lava stops flowing it leaves a hollow under the shelf, which eventually collapses. I was just there a few months ago looking at it. It's happened at least 5 or 6 times in the last 8 or 9 years.

As far as the big chunk of land collapsing, it happened before, and there has been a chunk that moves about a centimeter a year towards collapsing, but it's not in any danger of going anytime soon. I think the most it's moved is 3 centimeters in one year.

[edit on 12/2/2005 by Zaphod58]

from link below
Huge chunks of the Hawaiian Islands have been sliding into the Pacific Ocean for hundreds of thousands of years. (SF#101) Geologists classify these slides as either "slumps" or "debris avalanches." Slumps move just a few inches a year but are prone to bigger, jerky adjustments. Debris avalanches are fast cascades of rocks and soil. In Hawaii, both varieties of movement can involve massive blocks of real estate. In the huge Nu'uanu debris slide, stone blocks 6 miles across tumbled 30 miles out to sea. Both slumps and debris slides may create colossal tsunamis.

The hilina slump

I think this is the feature you were referring to. If something like this were to suddenly let go all at once, the result would be massive waves all around the Pacific Rim. According to the information on the link, there is evidence to suggest it has happened before.

Thanks, Icarus Rising...that link provides the information I was looking for.
It's just that I didn't have the correct name for it.
Here's a more detailed survey of the geological situation.

The islands of Hawaii have lots of shelves which can drop suddenly, due to the lava flows going directly into the sea. As these flows cool they build up a tremendous weight which can collapse. The Hilina Slump is likely the most threatening.

What happened in the latest collapse at the start of this thread is minor compared to the 1000 ft. tsunami which could be generated by the settling of the Hilina Slump.

Yeah, but the only danger of it happening from lava is the Big Island.