This article has been written to ‘peak’ your interest in the 2018 Kilauea eruption on the ‘Big Island’ of Hawaii in the Hawaiian Islands. USGS researchers have recently released a summary of the events of 2018 and their importance to the study of shield volcano eruptions in an article in Science on January 25, 2019, entitled ‘The 2018 Rift Eruption and Summit Collapse of Kīlauea Volcano.’

Perhaps ‘peak’ is not the right word when referring to Kilauea. Travelling up Hwy 11 around the South Point area to the Kilauea caldera, you cannot even see the summits of Mauna Loa on the left and much smaller Kilauea on the right. These young Hawaiian shield volcanoes are massive and wide. Between Na’alehu and Pahala there are some weird looking slump blocks on the slope of Mauna Loa to the left. And as you approach the summit of Kilauea, there is a small canyon formed in the crease between the two volcanoes on the left. But once you see the Kilauea caldera you won’t mistake this for anything less than an active volcano.

Or, what goes up must come down!

This article came about by Sheila Alfsen asking me to include some information about the Great Crack of Kilauea, which might interest some of the membership when they are visiting the Big Island of Hawaii. I didn’t feel I could do justice to the topic unless I also covered the great landslides, produced by volcanic spreading, on the ocean floor surrounding the Hawaiian islands.

The knowledge of landslides around the Hawaiian islands did not come about until the 1980’s. As a result of then President Reagan’s refusal to sign the Law of the Sea Treaty proposed by the UN in 1983, and subsequent announcement that the US would be declaring a 200-mile Exclusive Economic Zone around all of its territories, the USGS was tasked with mapping those underwater zones. They did so with a relatively new technology, side-scan sonar, which has fairly good resolution for mapping large blocks of material on the ocean floor.

Dennis Moody

Charles Holt

Fred & Judith Shipley

Matt & Darcie Laufenberg

Weican Chen

Ann Cornely

Nancy Ketrenos

Peter Samson

President Paul Edison-Lahm called the meeting to order at his home. Other board members in attendance constituting quorum were Dawn Juliano, Sheila Alfsen, Rik Smoody, Larry Purchase, and Megan Faust (appearing remotely). Minutes of the December 2018 board meeting were approved.

As part of our mission to promote Cascadia awareness, GSOC President-elect Sheila Alfsen hosted a two-day Earthquake Preparedness Conference in November for Chinese government delegates from the Anhui Province Department of Land and Resources. The group was interested in learning about precautionary measures that the United States has adopted in response to earthquakes, including early warning systems, emergency responses and data analysis to identify future events.

Robert Jackson

Alan Hull

Lisa & Greg Johnson

LaVon Murphy

...and our youngest member, Sebastian Faust, born December 2018!

In attendance were board members Paul Edison-Lahm, Sheila Alfsen, Dawn Juliano, Carol Hasenberg, Rik Smoody, Bo Nonn, Larry Purchase, and Julia Lanning — as well as member Evelyn Bennett. Minutes of the October 2018 board meeting were approved.

GSOC members and prospective members, please remember to renew your memberships for 2019. Your membership benefits include:

• Helping serve GSOC’s mission of promoting geology education in the Northwest, including PSU geology scholarships

• Welcome to join in all GSOC functions, including field trips, Holiday Party, Annual Banquet and Picnic, and more!

• A printed version of the GSOC newsletter if you choose

• A great time with all your GSOC friends!
  

p.s. if you joined the club after September 1, 2018, your dues are paid through 2019!!!

Chaitra Statnekov

Clark Niewendorp

Michael Christenson

Harold E Hinds Jr

Srirama & Deepika Chandra

Charles & Mary Raymond

Lin & Geoff Bunza

Terry Mayer-Namm & Brandon Namm

In attendance board members Paul Edison-Lahm, Sheila Alfsen, Dawn Juliano, Carol Hasenberg, Rik Smoody, Larry Purchase, Julia Lanning. Also Wenonah Purchase, Barbara Smoody, Dave Olcott. Minutes of the August 2018 board meeting were approved.

The GSOC 2018 Nominating Committee was formed with members Dawn Juliano, Paul Edison-Lahm, Larry Purchase. Board positions for next year have been examined and most positions have been requested for nomination by current board members. Open positions are Vice President and Secretary.

Sarah Starr
Gabrielle Clifford
William Brown
Henry Johnson
Dana Willis
Laura & Kevin Foster
Carole & Mike Miles
Ron Sonnevil & Dorothy Dutton
Jon & Barbara Stroud
David Selby
Samuel Giese
Ann McKinney
Mike Hiner
John Lillie
David Wilson & Lynne Williams
Clark Niewendorp

Board members Paul Edison-Lahm, Sheila Alfsen, Rik Smoody, Dawn Juliano, Larry Purchase, Bo Nonn and Megan Faust were in attendance at the Rice NW Museum of Rocks and Minerals constituting quorum. Marty Muncie and Dave Olcott also attended the meeting.

Deborah Sather
Joel Wilson 
James Bell
Chris Wiley 
Sarah Rehwalt
Lisa Goode 
Robin Smith
Nancy Floyd 
Jack & Susan Carlson 
Patricia Sexton & Cecile Bennett 
​​​​​​​Roger Hall