44 Acres of Coastline Collapse in Hawaii

Associated Press via Breitbart ^ | December 2, 2005

[Daralundy]

HAWAII VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK, Hawaii - About 44 acres of coastline collapsed into the ocean this week, setting loose a glowing stream of lava that shot out from the newly exposed cliffside 45 feet above the water. The plume, 6 feet in diameter, sent up a tower of steam as it hit the water and began forming a ramp of new land.

The collapse of solidified lava shelf and sea cliff Monday was the largest since Kilauea Volcano began its current eruption in 1983.

Jim Kauahikaua, scientist-in-charge of the U.S. Geological Survey's Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, said a collapse warning was issued in June because the shelf had become large and had formed cracks. Large collapses had happened in the area before.

Rumblings tipped scientists to Monday's collapse, which took about 4 1/2 hours. Even at that relatively slow pace, the effect was spectacular.

"The cliff just caved away like a glacier," said park spokesman Jim Gale. "It just sheared off that old wall. There's this gigantic steam plume and you see the red just falling down _ an incredible fire hose display."

The collapse sent out globs of lava and head-size boulders. Sheets of volcanic glass called limu o Pele, after the Hawaiian goddess of fire, and thin strands of volcanic glass known as Pele's hair were found 1,800 feet inland.

[Daralundy]

Hawaii is falling into the sea.

[nuconvert]

[don-o]

Has George Norry been informed?

[Jeff Chandler]

Okay, I'll be the first: Global Warming.

[Jeff Chandler]

Okay, I'll be the first: This is Bush's fault.

[SC Swamp Fox]

[Jeff Chandler]

Okay, I'll be the first: Signs of the End Times.

[cgk]

[Bender2]

There has been talk of a large chunk of the Big Island falling into the sea causing a thousand foot tidal wave across the Pacific...

Another reason I am glad I live 2000 miles away from the Left Coast...

[SC Swamp Fox]

36 seconds.

[Buck W.]

"About 44 acres of coastline collapsed into the ocean this week..."

No big deal. When coastline collapses into the ocean, what are you left with? More coastline.

[coconutt2000]

Considering how much an acre of coastline cost in Hawaii, that was an expensive collapse. ;-)

[Petronski]

Okay, I'll be first: Buy GOLD!

[Westlander]

Okay, I'll be the first. It's called NATURE.

[Daralundy]

I dunno. How big is the island?

[COEXERJ145]

Actually it is a fairly common occurrence as is part of the cycle that is continuing to build the island of Hawaii.

[injin]

I had a friend once that was a photographer and he was standing on the cliffs over the sea where the flows were coming out trying to get some awesome pictures of the hot lave pouring into the sea. That shelf also gave way and he was never seen again...What a way to go , no?

[Dustbunny]

Must be Bush's fault, he must have planted some bombs to make it happen.

< /sarcasm >

[Xenophobic Alien]

Sorry to hear but I bet it was quick.

[JRios1968]

If only Bush had signed the Kyoto protocol and not attacked Iraq, this wouldn't have happened!
< / sarc