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Research about Hawaii

Source-linked reports with geographic coverage including Hawaii.

At least 955 records · Page 53Linked to original sources
USGS1993

Volcanic gases create air pollution on the Island of Hawai’i

In a handful of molten magma weighing about a pound, there is less than a tenth of an ounce, by weight, of idssolved gas-roughly the same weight as a pinch of table salt. Yet this tiny amount of gas produces spectacular lava foundations hundreds of meters high (see accompanying photograph). The fountain occurs as magma reaches the surface, because dissolved volcanic gases exolve and expand tremendously as pressure on the magma is released. Anyone who has shaken a bottle of soda and opened it quickly has received the full value of this basic principle of physics. Gases are dissolved in magma at depth, where pressures within Earth's crust are very great-many thousands of pounds per square inch. As the magma rises to the surface and erupts, the pressure decreases, and gas is released. The main gases dissolved in magma are water vapor, carbon dioxide, and sulfur gases, with lesser amounts of others, such as hydrogen, carbon monoxide, hydrochloric acid, and hydrofluoric acid. In our pinch-of-salt-to-a-handful-of-magma illustration above, most of the "pinch" is water vapor, followed by lesser amounts of carbon dioxide and sulfur gases with a few "grains" of hydrogen and other acid gases. The current eruption of Kilauea produces large quantities of volcanic gases that contribute to "volcanic air pollution." In this article we discuss the nature of the gases released from Kilauea, hoe we study them, and what happened to the gases in the environment after they are released.

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USGS1992

Ages, rare-earth element enrichment, and petrogenesis of tholeiitic and alkalic basalts from Kahoolawe Island, Hawaii

Kahoolawe Island, Hawaii (18×11 km), is a basaltic shield volcano with caldera-filling lavas, seven identified postshield vents, and at least two occurrences of apparent rejuvenated-stage eruptive. We examined 42 samples that represent all stages of Kahoolawe volcano stratigraphy for their petrography, whole-rock major-and trace-element contents, mineral compositions, and K−Ar ages. The two oldest shield samples have an average age of 1.34±0.08 Ma, and four postshield samples (3 are alkalic) average 1.15±0.03 Ma; ages of 1.08 and 0.99 Ma for two additional tholeiitic samples probably are minimum ages. Whole-rock major- and trace-element and mineral compositions of Kahoolawe shield and caldera-fill laves are generally similar to the lavas forming Kilauea and Mauna Loa tholeiitic shields, but in detail, Kahoolawe shield lavas have distinctive compositions. An unusual aspect of many postshield Ka-hoolawe lavas is anomalously high REE and Y abundances (up to 200 ppm La and 175 ppm Y) and negative Ce anomalies. These enrichments reflect surficial processes, where weathering and soil development promoted REE-Y transport at the weathering front. Major element abundances (MgO, 10–6 wt.%) for shield and caldera-fill basalts are consistent with fractionation of ol+px+pl in frequently replenished magma reservoirs. In general, tholeiitic basalts erupted from late vents are higher in SiO 2 than the shield lavas, and temporal differences in parental magma compositions are the likely explanation. Alkalic basalts that erupted from vents are comparable in composition to those at other Hawaiian volcanoes. Trace-element abundance ratios indicate that alkalic basalts represent either relatively lower degrees of melting of the shield source or a distinct source. Apparent rejuvenated-stage basalts (i.e., emplaced after substantial Kahoolawe erosion) are tholeiitic, unlike the rejuvenated-stages at other Hawaiian volcanoes (alkalic). Kahoolawe, like several other Hawaiian volcanoes, has intercalated tholeiitic and alkalic basalts in the postshield stage, but it is the only volcano that appears to have produced tholeiitic rejuvenated-stage lavas.

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USGS1992

Dynamics of Kilauea Volcano

One of the longest volcanic eruptions in recorded history began in 1983. Lava flows from Kilauea have since added 120 hectares of new land to the island of Hawaii and covered 100 square kilometres. Kilauea is one of the most thoroughly studied volcanoes in the world. That scrutiny is helping scientists to understand how volcanoes work and to predict where other destructive eruptions might occur. Moreover, the volcano offers a unique window into the workings of the earth's interior.

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USGS1992

Volcano growth and evolution of the island of Hawaii

The seven volcanoes comprising the island of Hawaii and its submarine base are, in order of growth, Mahukona, Kohala, Mauna Kea, Hualalai, Mauna Loa, Kilauea, and Loihi. The first four have completed their shield-building stage, and the timing of this event can be determined from the depth of the slope break associated with the end of shield building, calibrated using the ages and depths of a series of dated submerged coral reefs off northwest Hawaii. On each volcano, the transition from eruption of tholeiitic to alkalic lava occurs near the end of shield building. The rate of southeastern progression of the end of shield building in the interval from Haleakala to Hualalai is about 13 cm/yr. Based on this rate and an average spacing of volcanoes on each loci line of 40-60km, the volcanoes required about 600 thousand years to grow from the ocean floor to the time of the end of shield building. They arrive at the ocean surface about midway through this period.

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USGS1992

Water resources data, Hawaii and other Pacific areas, water year 1991: Volume 1. Hawaii

Water resources data for the 1991 water year for Hawaii and other Pacific Areas consist of records of stage, discharge, and water quality of streams and springs; and water levels and water quality in wells. This report, volume 1, contains discharge records for 83 gaging stations; water quality for 16 gaging stations, 26 partial-record flow stations, and 128 wells; and water levels for 34 observation wells. Also included are 107 crest-stage partial record stations, and 6 low-flow partial-record stations. These data represent that part of the National Water Data System operated by the U.S. Geological Survey and cooperating State, Federal, and other agencies in Hawaii.

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USGS1992

The ten-year eruption of Kilauea Volcano

The Pu'u 'O' o-Kupaianaha eruption now ranks as the longest-lived historic eruption on the East Rift Zone and the most destructive in Kilauea's recent history. About 1 km 3 of lava erupted during the first 0 years of the eruption. Lava flows have destroyed 181 houses and severed the coastal highway along the volcano's south flank, severely restricting transportation on this part of the island of Hawaii. the eruption consisted of many distinct episodes characterized by activity at different vents and by different eruptive styles. the following summarizes the first 10 years of the eruption, starting with the initial outbreak in 1983.

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USGS1992

Tracking the movement of Hawaiian volcanoes; Global Positioning System (GPS) measurement

Most, if not all, volcanic eruptions are preceded by surface movements near the volcano. These ground movements are the response of the shallow crust to the accumulation of the magma or the buildup of magma pressure within a subterranean reservoir beneath the volcano. As the magma reservoir expands, the summit and the flanks of the volcano rise and spread apart. Measurements made at many volcanoes show that slow ground movement may precede an eruption by as many as several years. Sudden increases in the rate of ground movement often precede an eruption by a few hours or days. At some well-studied volcanoes, surface movements of at least several centimeters take place out to distances of about 10 km from the summit of the volcano. Widespread deformation of this type is relatively easy to monitor, because the necessary survey stations can be placed at favorable sites some distance from the summit of the volcano. Examples of deformation of this type include Kilauea and Mauna Loa in Hawaii, Krafla in Iceland, Long Valley in California, Camp Flegrei in Italy, and Sakurajima in Japan. In contrast, surface movement at some other volcanoes, usually volcanoes with steep slopes, is restricted to places within about 1 km of their summits. Examples of this class of volcanoes include Mount St. Helens in Washington, Etna in Italy, and Tangkuban Parahu in Indonesia. Local movement on remote, rugged volcanoes of this type is difficult to observe using conventional methods of measuring ground movement, which generally require a clear line-of-sight between points of interest. However, a revolutionary new technique, called the Global Positional System (GPS), provides a very efficient, alternative method of making such measurements. GPS, which uses satellites and ground-based receivers to accurately record slight crustal movements, is rapidly becoming the method of choice to measure deformation at volcanoes.

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USGS1992

Morphology of the island of Hawaii

Digital elevation data for the island of Hawaii from the U.S. Geographical Survey gridded at 30 m spacing was used to generate a slope map, a shaded relief map, and plots that compare slope and elevation for each of the five volcanoes that compose the island.These computer- generated products are useful in analyzing the morphology of the sland. The volcanoes become steeper with increasing age. The five volcanoes, in order of increasing age, are Kilauea, Mauna Lao, Hualalai, Mauna Kea and Kohala; their average slopes are 3.3, 5.4, 6.6, 7.0, and 11.3, respectively. This relation apparently results from growth of the late, steeper alkali cap on the older volcanoes that include more viscous, thicker flows, flows that are smaller hence tend to pile up more near the summit vents, and volatile- rich lavas that commonly produce steep sided cinder cones at summit vents. The cause of the gentler slopes of younger volcanoes include the high proportion of exposed fluid lava flows from the shield building stage, the ponding of lava against earlier volcanoes, and the grading of lava to sea level; subsidence of the older volcanoes have cause these gently dipping near-seas-level lava flows to subside below the sea. Finally, steep erosional canyons have developed in large areas of the older volcanoes (notably Kohala). Virtually all of the major fault systems on the sland appear to be related to the upper parts of giant landslides, most of which are hidden below sea level on the submarine flanks of the volcanoes. These are generally normal faults in the tensional regime at the heads and upper parts of the landslides Subtle changes in slope hint at buried landslide related faults scarps that have been covered by subsequent lava flows. Major erosional canyons are present in only two places, each presumed to be in the amphitheaters of the major landslides. The probably formed in this setting because steam erosion is favored by the steep sloped generated at the heads of landslides. The slope map clearly displays two bands of steep slope on Mauna Kea that mark the terminal moraines at the edges of the last two advances of the Pleistocene ice cap.

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USGS1991

Geology and petrology of Mahukona Volcano, Hawaii

The submarine Mahukona Volcano, west of the island of Hawaii, is located on the Loa loci line between Kahoolawe and Hualalai Volcanoes. The west rift zone ridge of the volcano extends across a drowned coral reef at about-1150 m and a major slope break at about-1340 m, both of which represent former shoreines. The summit of the volcano apparently reached to about 250 m above sea level (now at-1100 m depth) did was surmounted by a roughly circular caldera. A econd rift zone probably extended toward the east or sutheast, but is completely covered by younger lavas from the adjacent subaerial volcanoes. Samples were vecovered from nine dredges and four submersible lives. Using subsidence rates and the compositions of flows which drape the dated shoreline terraces, we infer that the voluminous phase of tholeiitic shield growth ended about 470 ka, but tholeiitic eruptions continued until at least 435 ka. Basalt, transitional between tholeiitic and alkalic basalt, erupted at the end of tholeiitic volcanism, but no postshield-alkalic stage volcanism occurred. The summit of the volcano apparently subcided below sea level between 435 and 365 ka. The tholeiitic lavas recovered are compositionally diverse.

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USGS1991

Origin of xenoliths in the trachyte at Puu Waawaa, Hualalai Volcano, Hawaii

Rare dunite and 2-pyroxene gabbro xenoliths occur in banded trachyte at Puu Waawaa on Hualalai Volcano, Hawaii. Mineral compositions suggest that these xenoliths formed as cumulates of tholeiitic basalt at shallow depth in a subcaldera magma reservoir. Subsequently, the minerals in the xenoliths underwent subsolidus reequilibration that particularly affected chromite compositions by decreasing their Mg numbers. In addition, olivine lost CaO and plagioclase lost MgO and Fe2O3 during subsolidus reequilibration. The xenoliths also reacted with the host trachyte to form secondary mica, amphibole, and orthopyroxene, and to further modify the compositions of some olivine, clinopyroxene, and spinel grains. The reaction products indicate that the host trachyte melt was hydrous. Clinopyroxene in one dunite sample and olivine in most dunite samples have undergone partial melting, apparently in response to addition of water to the xenolith. These xenoliths do not contain CO2 fluid inclusions, so common in xenoliths from other localities on Hualalai, which suggests that CO2 was introduced from alkalic basalt magma between the time CO2-inclusion-free xenoliths erupted at 106??6 ka and the time CO2-inclusion-rich xenoliths erupted within the last 15 ka.

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USGS1991

The tholeiite to alkalic basalt transition at Haleakala Volcano, Maui, Hawaii

Previous studies of alkalic lavas erupted during the waning growth stages (<0.9 Ma to present) of Haleakala volcano identified systematic temporal changes in isotopic and incompatible element abundance ratios. These geochemical trends reflect a mantle mixing process with a systematic change in the proportions of mixing components. We studied lavas from a 250-m-thick stratigraphic sequence in Honomanu Gulch that includes the oldest (∼1.1 Ma) subaerial basalts exposed at Haleakaka. The lower 200 m of section is intercalated tholeiitic and alkalic basalt with similar isotopic (Sr, Nd, Pb) and incompatible element abundance ratios (e.g., Nb/La, La/Ce, La/Sr, Hf/Sm, Ti/Eu). These lava compositions are consistent with derivation of alkalic and tholeiitic basalt by partial melting of a compositionally homogeneous, clinopyroxene-rich, garnet lherzolite source. The intercalated tholeiitic and alkalic Honomanu lavas may reflect a process which tapped melts generated in different portions of a rising plume, and we infer that the tholeiitic lavas reflect a melting range of ∼10% to 15%, while the intercalated alkalic lavas reflect a range of ∼6.5% to 8% melting. However, within the uppermost 50 m of section. 87 Sr/ 86 Sr decreases from 0.70371 to 0.70328 as eruption age decreased from ∼0.97 Ma to 0.78 Ma. We infer that as lava compositions changed from intercalated tholeiitic and alkalic lavas to only alkalic lavas at ∼0.93 Ma, the mixing proportions of source components changed with a MORB-related mantle component becoming increasingly important as eruption age decreased.

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USGS1991

Possible solar noble-gas component in Hawaiian basalts

The noble-gas elemental and isotopic composition in the Earth is significantly different from that of the present atmosphere, and provides an important clue to the origin and history of the Earth and its atmosphere. Possible candidates for the noble-gas composition of the primordial Earth include a solar-like component, a planetary-like component (as observed in primitive meteorites) and a component similar in composition to the present atmosphere. In an attempt to identify the contributions of such components, we have measured isotope ratios of helium and neon in fresh basaltic glasses dredged from Loihi seamount and the East Rift Zone of Kilauea 1–3 . We find a systematic enrichment in 20 Ne and 21 Ne relative to 22 Ne, compared with atmospheric neon. The helium and neon isotope signatures observed in our samples can be explained by mixing of solar, present atmospheric, radiogenic and nucleogenic components. These data suggest that the noble-gas isotopic composition of the mantle source of the Hawaiian plume is different from that of the present atmosphere, and that it includes a significant solar-like component. We infer that this component was acquired during the formation of the Earth.

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USGS1991

Picritic glasses from Hawaii

Estimates of the MgO content of primary Hawaiian tholeiitic melts range from 8wt% to as high as 25wt% (refs 1, 2). In general, these estimates are derived from analysis of the whole-rock composition of lavas, coupled with the compositions of the most magnesian olivine phenocrysts observed. But the best estimate of magma composition comes from volcanic glass, as it represents the liquid composition at the time of quenching; minimal changes occur during the quenching process. Here we report the discovery of tholeiitic basalt glasses, recovered offshore of Kilauea volcano, that contain up to 15.0 wt% MgO. To our knowledge, these are the most magnesian glasses, and have the highest eruption temperatures ( ∼ 1,316 ° C), yet found. The existence of these picritic (high-MgO) liquids provides constraints on the temperature structure of the upper mantle, magma transport and the material and thermal budgets of the Hawaiian volcanoes. Furthermore, picritic melts are affected little by magma-reservoir processes, and it is therefore relatively straightforward to extrapolate back to the composition of the primary melt and its volatile contents.

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