Arnold Okamura (Former Employee)
Science and Products
Volcano Watch — Hilo native named Scientist-in-Charge of Cascades Volcano Observatory
HVO is proud to report that Elliot T. Endo, long-time HVO associate and 1961 graduate of Hilo High School, has been named Scientist-in-Charge of the U.S. Geological Survey's Cascades Volcano Observatory (CVO) in Vancouver, Washington. Elliot is the son of Kazuo and Yayoi Endo of `Ainako.
Volcano Watch — A reminder that we live in earthquake country
Every November, we usually include a column on earthquakes in Hawaii to remind residents and to inform newcomers of the high seismic hazard on the island. November is chosen because the two largest earthquakes in the past 50 years occurred in this month.
Volcano Watch — Awareness does not necessarily mean preparedness
It was heartening to see several delegates at last week's Cities on Volcanoes 3 (COV3) conference who were former students of the Center for the Study of Active Volcanoes (CSAV) at the University of Hawai`i at Hilo. Every summer, CSAV conducts two training sessions.
Volcano Watch — Cooperative training by University of Hawai`i and Hawaiian Volcano Observatory
This week the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory is cooperating with the University of Hawai`i to conduct a workshop in volcanology for graduate students from several U.S. universities. The workshop is being held in conjunction with the Cities on Volcanoes 3 meeting, in Hilo July 14-18. The COV3 meeting will be described in next week's Volcano Watch.
Volcano Watch — April is tsunami awareness month throughout Hawai`i
About this time every year, we have an article or two on the topic of tsunami. The month of April is observed as "Tsunami Awareness Month" in Hawai`i. It is important that everyone living in Hawai`i learn about tsunami because more people have been killed by tsunami than by any other natural hazard in Hawai`i.
Volcano Watch — Deep-diving submersible unveils secrets of the volcanoes
On May 22, 1960, the largest earthquake ever recorded struck the coast of western Chile. The magnitude of this quake was so great that it literally went off the Richter scale; seismologists estimate the effective magnitude at about 9.5. The amount of fault slip during this quake and the area over which the slip occurred were both staggering.
Volcano Watch — Lest we forget, April is tsunami awareness month
April is "Tsunami Awareness Month" in Hawai`i. Tsunami is the deadliest natural hazard in Hawai`i. The month of April is chosen to remind people of this hazard because on April 1, 1946, a tsunami, generated in the Aleutians by a magnitude-7.8 earthquake, swept through the islands and killed 159 residents.
Volcano Watch — The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory will be ninety years old in January
Early next month, the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) will commemorate the ninetieth anniversary of its founding. On January 17, 1912, Thomas A. Jaggar arrived at the rim of Kīlauea caldera to devote the next 28 years of his life as Director of the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.
Volcano Watch — How our capabilities have improved with time
Forty years ago, at 12:36 p.m. on September 21, a swarm of large, shallow earthquakes accompanied by strong harmonic tremor began to emanate from the vicinity of Napau Crater on the east rift zone of Kīlauea Volcano. A rapid deflation of the summit of Kīlauea occurred in conjunction with the earthquake swarm.
Volcano Watch — The opening of a new viewing area of the eruption
At 2:00 p.m. on Friday, August 17, the County of Hawai`i officially opened to the public a new viewing area of the current eruptive activity. The viewing area overlooks the spectacular seascape of the lava bench and accompanying black sand beach at the ocean entry east of Kupapa`u.
Volcano Watch — Facts and Fallacies about Hualālai Volcano
Every so often we receive a number of inquiries from anxious people in Kona about a possible eruption of Hualālai Volcano. The latest spate of questions is apparently being triggered by a personal web site that contains inaccurate information about the volcano. We hope to dispel the rumors by presenting the results of our ongoing observations.
Volcano Watch — The evolution of the tiltmeter at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory
The basic strategy in monitoring a volcano has not changed much since 1912 when Thomas A. Jaggar founded HVO. He recognized the importance of measuring ground deformation, earthquakes, and gases. These three programs remain the essence of HVO's monitoring efforts - only the tools have changed. In today's column we focus on the evolution of methods to monitor slope changes or tilt.