Category Archives: Volcanoes

Abstracts: James Clerk Maxwell Telescope mirror framework

Framing supports the mirror on the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope.

Last year, when I went on the Kama‘āina Observatory Experience, I visited a couple of telescopes. One of them was the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope, a single-dish telescope dedicated to detecting submillimetre radiation.

One of the things I liked about that telescope was the structure of the supporting framework. It reminded me of something found at Ikea, but on a giant scale. If I’d been involved in putting it together, at the end of the day, when congratulations were being bandied about, I’d have been the one saying, “Er, I’ve got a rod and three little hexagonal nuts left over. Where do they go?”

Kona lava tube

The lava tube north of Kailua Kona Airport.The lava tube north of Kailua Kona Airport.

Probably the most visited lava tube on the Big Island is Thurston Lava Tube in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. However, the most easily accessible might be one just a couple of miles north of the airport at Kailua Kona.

Just off the main highway, it’s not unusual to see a line of vehicles pulled over and people scrambling over the lava. There’s a well worn path leading down to the entrance of the tube and enough headroom to make access easy. However, it’s worth noting that there are piles of rock strewn around from ceiling collapses and the whole area looks crumbly. I certainly wouldn’t want to be down there during an earthquake. Enter at your own risk!

Mauna Kea shadow

The shadow of Mauna Kea stretches out above the clouds.

Seen from the top of Mauna Kea, what is this shape we’re looking at, stretched out over the clouds, with that crisp corner at the top? It is, of course, the shadow of the volcano itself.

I like this image a lot, I think because it’s something I never thought about until I saw it. Then, I was immediately struck by how it illustrates the size of Mauna Kea and what a classic volcano it is.

Mauna Kea telescopes

Mauna Kea telescopes as sunset nears.

Waiting for sunset at the top of Mauna Kea, there are many distractions – shiny telescopes, other sunset watchers, pillowed clouds, and plummeting temperatures. By the time I returned to the car I was ready to turn up the heat, a rare opportunity in Hawaii.

The telescopes are from left: Suburu Telescope, The two telescopes of the W. M. Keck Observatory, and NASA Infrared Telescope Facility.

Fire from the volcano

Lava from Kilauea’s Pu’u O’o vent pours into the ocean.Lava from Kilauea’s Pu’u O’o vent pours into the ocean.Lava from Kilauea’s Pu’u O’o vent pours into the ocean.

Since the theme of this week’s WordPress photo challenge is elemental, I thought I’d pull out a few more photos from my visit, earlier this year, to the lava flow from Kilauea’s Pu’u O’o vent.

This is the closest we get to seeing fire from the earth’s core, a roaring torrent of molten lava. Since I took these photos there have been cliff collapses that have ended this firehose effect. But the lava continues to flow and has formed a good-sized delta at the foot of the cliff. This delta is crossed by several large cracks, which run parallel to the coast. This means the whole delta is likely to collapse into the ocean in the near future, probably in explosive fashion.

Could be time for another visit!

Lava from Kilauea’s Pu’u O’o vent pours into the ocean.Lava from Kilauea’s Pu’u O’o vent pours into the ocean.

Mauna Kea rain

Cloud and rain on Mauna Kea

Mauna Kea is a mecca for astronomers because it boasts clear skies more than 300 days a year. That doesn’t mean Mauna Kea doesn’t get rain, just that it falls more on the lower slopes.

This photo shows the access road, a little way below the summit, socked in with clouds and steady rain. It was a little better at the top, but still very cloudy and not a day for seeing stars.