Kīlauea Update, Friday, August 3, 2018. Clouds of ash and rock dust rise

Though others may not agree, I still sense that our ʻōlaʻi, the quaking of the earth, are less frequent and of mostly lower Magnitude.  But.  I may have simply become numb to it all as Iʻve said before.  The exploquake finally arrived at noonish yesterday, 52 hours after the last.  It was preceded, as they often are, by a few introductory ʻōlaʻi in the mid-3 range.  Almost as though thereʻs a tickle in Hiʻiakaʻs throat, and she rumbles to clear it, then coughs.  As weʻve learned, Hiʻiaka, the younger sister of Pele, is her counterpart.  Kinda like her opposite.  Pele withdraws her pele from under the summit, it collapses, and Hiʻiaka goes digging, often for water.  Iʻm a horrible storyteller, and certainly not good, at all, at remembering "Myths" and "Legends" so maybe TryRead something Don Swanson at HVO wrote:

Swanson: Hawaiian Oral Traditions and Volcanic Activity

And please note that those Myths and Legends, and the oli and mele (chants and songs), more often than not, are based in reality.  Theyʻre very very old, and of course have been told and retold so many times, that some have evolved a bit.

Letʻs start with a Legendary Feature up here.  Kalupe.  Some say "kite" some say "manta ray".  Itʻs that body of light-colored rock at the base of Kapalikapuokamohoaliʻi. 

Ka=the, pali=cliff, kapu=forbidden or taboo, o=of, Kamohoaliʻi=a brother of Pele; a shark deity who guided the family in their canoe to Hawaiʻi.

If I remember correctly, Kalupe is a laccolith (please google for info).

And one side-effect of the busyness is that things change.  And not always for the better.  During our exploquakes, vibrations cause rocks to fall, cascade, and avalanche.  "Hāneʻe" in ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi.

Hāneʻe ma Kapalikapuokamohoaliʻi, yesterday, from HVO staff at Volcano House:

The resulting talus is likely burying Kalupe.

And above, a photo, #2536, from HVO.  Trying something new: annotating photos.  Ahhh the wonders of technology!  I hope that itʻs readable.  Packed with info.  If youʻve been here, youʻll recognize some places, while others are being born.

And another Before/After, this #2537 from HVO, from a similar vantage point.

"Where I live, there are rainbows...." [thanks hv] at least this morning.  Thank you wind-blown mists.  We had a refreshing walk in the storminess at the Golf Course today.

And another impressiveness.  Note that the cracks on the floor of Kaluapele at the left, circumferential to Halemaʻumaʻu and the new [what I call] NE Bay, continue to grow.  Individual ones turn into pali, and the progression, from right to left, is evident.

And down there at Puna ma kai, kahawai pele continues to flow.  Again, the contrast between windward (right) and leeward (left) is stark.  Though not so visible in photographs, the molten stream degases along its entire course.  Magma and lava are a soup of various minerals and gases, and gases escape quickly.  They obviously are unhealthful.  To plants, to animals, and to us... 

In places, the ʻaʻā is more than 60 feet thick.

Thatʻs it for now.  

Tomorrow...maybe more ʻAilāʻau info...

As always, with aloha,

BobbyC