ISTI's Role in Monitoring of Kīlauea Eruption
A recent article in the New York Times delves into the impact of the Kīlauea volcanic eruption of 2018 and subsequent efforts to minimize the destruction, which is the hallmark of every such natural disaster. In When Kilauea Erupted, a New Volcanic Playbook Was Written, author, Robin George Andrews, explores the efforts this eruption sparked so that we as a nation may be better prepared for any future large events that this, or other communities in the U.S. may be susceptible to. Measuring areas of seismic activity is key to better understanding how future volcanoes may act, including characteristics of their eruption phase and potential duration. Such knowledge can help inform key information that scientists can provide to the public during evacuation.
Though it is the youngest volcano on the Island of Hawai‘i, USGS quotes this May 3, 2018 event as the “largest lower East Rift Zone (LERZ) eruption and caldera collapse in at least 200 years...” at that time. And yet, despite centuries since such significant activity, it is important to remain vigilant and to learn as much as we can about volcanic behavior.
The New York Times article sums it up:
“Even on the world’s best instrumented volcano,” said Dr. Hon, referring to Kilauea, “we still don’t really understand it that well.”
And yet, despite having so many dangers and complications to contend with, no one died, and thousands of lives were saved during the 2018 crisis.
— Andrews, Robin George. When Kilauea Erupted, a New Volcanic Playbook Was Written. New York Times. 9 Nov. 2021.
ISTI’s Role in Monitoring
ISTI’s team has decades of experience with the AQMS software used to monitor the earthquakes and other ground-shaking events from this eruption. Six months before the eruption began, ISTI’s experts helped the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory get this software tuned and operational on a Linux platform.
The U.S. Geological Survey continues to bolster its efforts with enhancements and additions to its monitoring network, state-of-the-art equipment, and software, such as ISTI offers, which can only help prepare scientists to understand volcanic behavior better and potentially lessen the impact on our wildlife, businesses, and neighborhoods nationwide.
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Read more about AQMS, the software that was used to monitor Kīlauea seismic activity.
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