At the Halema‘uma‘u Crater, a plume emanates from a relatively small location on the southeastern crater rim. The plume’s light color suggests a high proportion of water vapor, although some ash might mix with steam in this plume.

The Pu‘u O‘o Crater is completely obscured by a volcanic plume, which appears to arise from the entire crater. Northeast of this crater, another plume billows from a pinpoint of activity, the Thanksgiving Eve Breakout Vent. (This breakout vent formed on the eve of Thanksgiving in 2007.) Like the plume from Halema‘uma‘u Crater, these plumes appear light in color, and likely contain predominantly steam.

According to bulletins issued by the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory on December 11 and 12, 2009, a deep pit in Halema‘uma‘u Crater held two openings from which a glow (likely from magma) appeared. A network of tilt meters recording inflation and deflation at Kilauea indicated inflation on the north flank of Pu‘u O‘o although the bulletin stated that deflation/inflation events are of uncertain magnitude.

Source and full size images: spacefellowship.com

It will also have representatives of local infrastructure (water, land, energy, processing facilities), government and education – to discuss the community goal of producing 50% of its own own food.

The North Kohala community will produce 50% of the food it consumes” is one of the goals the community set forth in the North Kohala Community Development Plan. It is hard to know exactly how much of the food North Kohala residents consume is locally produced, but 10-15% is probably a good estimate.

The “local food” movement has been gaining traction all over the world and in Hawaii. Data is now bearing out the fact that eating locally grown foods are good for your health, the community and the economy….

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The NYTimes has an article in the Dining & Wine section about the rise in commercial teas in Kona and on the Big Island – boosted in part with the help of the Department of Agriculture.

Hawaii is known for its Kona coffee. Now there is also tea. It’s not so new, having been introduced on the Big Island in 1887, but only in the last 10 years or so, with encouragement from the federal Department of Agriculture, have serious commercial growers cultivated high-quality teas.

SAY ALOHA Eva Lee and her husband, Chiu Leong, are now sending two teas from their company, Tea Hawaii, to Samovar Tea Lounge in San Francisco, where the teas are sold and will be added to its Web site on Aug. 7. The black tea has a winy richness, and the oolong is layered with subtle earthiness. Neither is bitter. Another company, Mauna Kea Tea, offers oolong and green teas shipped directly from Hawaii, as does Hilo Coffee Mill, which also has an oolong.

Its nice to see other agricultural products from the Big Island get some recognition!

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Halemaumau crater vent ash cloud one minute after first collapse

VOLCANO, Hawaii (AP) — The bright glow at the summit of Hawaii’s Kilauea (KILL’-uh-WAY’-uh) volcano has been snuffed out by a series of large rock falls within its crater.

The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory says the rock falls on Tuesday produced a seismic signal equivalent to a magnitude-2.4 earthquake.

The rumble was felt at the observatory and the adjacent Jaggar Museum.

Chunks of the vent rim fell into the cavity in the floor of the crater. In all, more than 30 rim collapses were recorded.

Vent collapses are often the result of a drop in the level of lava in the vent, which destabilize its walls.

Kilauea has been erupting on the Big Island for more than 25 years, with its lava creating a plume of steam as it spills into the Pacific Ocean.

Source: Associated Press