University of Calgary’s Hawaii trip going ahead despite volcanic activity
A University of Calgary field course in Hawaii is still going ahead as planned, despite the recent activity from the Kilauea volcano.
The Big Island’s volcano has been sputtering lava for a week, forcing about 2,000 people to evacuate, destroying two dozen homes and threatening a geothermal plant.
On Thursday, the park was closed indefinitely to visitors because of the risks.
Rajeev Nair, the professor at the university running the course, said he and 12 students still plan on visiting Hawaii at the end of May to study the principles of volcanology. The group will spend nine days on the Big Island and four days on Oahu.
This is Nair’s third year running the course for senior undergraduate students.
“Kilauea is a safe volcano to study, which is why many volcanologists consider that a perfect laboratory for viewing first-hand active volcanic processes,” said Nair.
“This is an important learning process for students to observe these processes first hand so that they are prepared for working and informing the public of the necessary actions to take when called upon in their careers.”
Currently, there are no changes in the itinerary, said Nair, but that could change depending on further activity.
“We’re hoping that the park where we do most of the field work will still be accessible for our work, although we’re not really working in areas that are dangerous.”
Nair said the only time violent eruptions have occurred with Kilauea was when there was interaction with groundwater and magma.
“That is the concern the U.S. (Geological Survey) volcanologist expressed a couple of days ago, because the lava level is dropping and it could potentially go below the water table, and that could potentially create steam explosions,” said Nair. “(This) could produce mostly ash, and the ash is not necessarily very threatening.”
He added he is looking into contingency plans to do the field work elsewhere in case access is limited.
Meghan Holowath, a third-year geology student going on the trip, said most people have the idea of a Mount St. Helens-type explosion in their mind, but because of the magma type of Kilauea, that sort of explosive event is unlikely.
“This volcano is very unique and we’re lucky that it’s not as dangerous as other volcanoes and we’re able to go and see it without having it pose a threat to our safety,” said Holowath. She added she’s even more excited to go due to all the activity coming from Kilauea.
“It’s a prime learning example of what we’re studying. It’s really cool to be able to go and see it first hand, something you don’t normally get to see,” said Holowath.
“When studying geology, you kind of are always studying history and having to use your imagination, but now we can actually see geological history in the making.”