January 17, 2019
Beryllium: the rain bringeth and the rain taketh away
High in Earth’s atmosphere, cosmic rays collide with oxygen atoms, shattering the oxygen into smaller atoms, including radioactive beryllium-10. …
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Hawaii
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17 articles · Page 1 of 1
October 12, 2018
Geologic Column: A cautionary tale about "sleeping" natural hazards
Despite its lugubrious climate, the rugged, verdant landscape of the greater Seattle/Puget Sound area, to which I moved five years ago, is a …
August 31, 2018
Down to Earth With: Volcanologist Thorvaldur Thordarson
Despite growing up in Iceland, with Earth’s most volcanically active landscape as his playground, Thorvaldur Thordarson had no idea he would grow …
August 3, 2018
Down to Earth With: Volcanologist Scott Rowland
Hawaii seems like an ideal place to nurture a budding volcanologist. Kilauea, on the Big Island, is one of the world’s most active volcanoes. And …
March 29, 2017
Maui reef degradation linked to contamination in coastal groundwater
Submarine groundwater discharge — the flow of fresh and brackish groundwater from land to sea — can transport contaminants to coastal ecosystems. …
September 28, 2016
Kilauea increases asthma risk
Kilauea may be best known for its picturesque red lava flowing into the ocean, but new research presented this week at the Geological Society of …
August 19, 2016
Geologic Column: The notion of mantle plumes
The article “The Question of Mantle Plumes” in the January/February 2016 issue of EARTH was a well-researched and educational reminder that the …
August 1, 2016
Benchmarks: July 1, 1912: Hawaiian Volcano Observatory officially becomes the first of its kind in U.S.
Living on the fringe of an active volcano in Hawaii is a precarious venture. Because Hawaii’s shield volcanoes aren’t prone to explosive …
July 26, 2016
Mauna Loa's mysterious Ninole Hills were once a rift
Hawaii’s Nīnole Hills, jutting out from Mauna Loa’s southeast flank, are one of the most striking features on the Big Island, though their …
July 6, 2016
Benchmarks: April 1, 1946: Hawaii tsunami ushers in a Pacific-wide warning system
On the morning of April 1, 1946, children were on their way to school in the small peninsula community of Laupahoehoe on the island of Hawaii …
August 29, 2014
Kilauea eruptions could shift from mild to wild
Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano is famously effusive: Low-viscosity lava oozes out of the main caldera and two active rift zones along the southern …
August 7, 2014
Living in the shadow of Mauna Loa: A silent summit belies a volcano's forgotten fury
Earth’s largest active volcano is taking a nap. And after 30 years, no one is quite sure when Hawaii’s Mauna Loa will reawaken. Odds are that it …
May 16, 2012
Kilauea's Explosive Past - and Future
“Namakeha and some other chiefs in the train of Kamehameha, went with soldiers to Ka’u [on the southern coast of the Big Island of Hawaii], to …
March 16, 2012
Danger in paradise: The hidden hazards of volcano geotourism
In November 2000, rangers at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park made a gruesome discovery. The bodies of a man and a woman, in an advanced state of …
January 5, 2012
Travels in Geology: Taking in Hawaii's Big Island
For a bit of money, visitors to Hawaii can indulge their touristy impulses with a single night of mai tais and luaus. But take on Hawaii’s …
January 5, 2012
Mag.-8.9 quake strikes Japan, tsunami heads for Hawaii
A powerful magnitude-8.9 earthquake struck near the eastern coast of Honshu, Japan, today at 2:46 p.m. local time. The quake sent a tsunami …
January 5, 2012
AGU: Aloha, magma! Geothermal engineers drill into surprising lava
SAN FRANCISCO — While drilling deep into Earth, geothermal engineers struck geological gold, opening a never-before-seen window into a classic …