Monday, March 1, 2021 Tantalizing brightnesses

 We are teased, then the reality of "Shower Bands" hits home.  Or, "Bands of Showers"...

For nearly a week, chill damp here in Keaʻau ma uka.  In fits and starts, blustery winds and rains, followed by briefest windows of sun.  Though shadows are cast, they soon disappear.  In the forest, fresh greening continues.  ʻŌlapa are showing lau that are bright clean shiny green, and rather than fluttering in breezes, theyʻre windwhipped.

Kīlauea EcoGuides

A bit too dicey to go out and get photos today, but the above should suffice...One thing missing is the unique scent.  Some say turpentineish, I canʻt describe it, other than "ʻōlapa".  Too, pepeʻe hāpuʻu are slowly unfurling, a few lehua bloom, and uluhe reach out and up.

Up at Kaluapele, rain, steam, fog...  The KEcam, facing East-ish bears the brunt of weathers, as scudding low clouds yield to sun then rain again.

And yes, Pelehonuamea continues, though at a slower pace.  The loko ahi has risen about three feet in a day, and SO2 rates remain fairly low at 700t/day.

And as we saw last week, ōlaʻi in the summit region of Kīlauea are...negligible.  For now.  That big cluster on the SW Rift of Kīlauea near Pāhala continues to accumulate.  Most are between 19 and 22 miles deep, and about M2.0.  We canʻt feel them, which is a good thing.

The size of the active surface of the loko ahi continues to slowly shrink.  One opening of the west vent is that bright yelloworange dot bottom left of center.  Clotted islets grow in size.

And below, from HVO, is a fairly clear image of the floor of Halemaʻumaʻu.  The main, biggest, central moku with its bounding pali between 25 and 30 feet high, and smaller islets to the east above it in this view, are all firmly paʻa, stuck in the crust.

Smaller scattered younger moku liʻi are in the sea of pele, just to the right of fuming west vent.  

That darkish area top center is a small pali behind a down-dropped block (the flat grey surface) and where, if She continues, the first overflow will be.  IF is the operative word.

 

And finally for today, despite the off on rain wind brief sun here, Mokuʻāweoweo is remarkably clearish.  That vertical bank of cloud fascinates...

Hiki?  Stay warm and dry, and no get too cocky with low case counts and vaccines.  Wear masks, wash hands, stay socially distant.  Please...

As always, with aloha,

BobbyC

maniniowali@gmail.com