Volcano Scientists to Gather Next Week in Waikoloa

More than 180 scientists will gather in Waikoloa next week for a conference on volcanoes.

The five-day conference “Hawaiian Volcanoes: From Source to Surface” will also commemorate the 100-year anniversary of the founding of the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.

Jim Kauahikaua, HVO’s scientist-in-charge, said the centennial provides an apt backdrop for the symposium.

“Now, 100 years later, we have an opportunity to review what we have learned during the past century of volcano observation in Hawai`i, identify problems in volcanological investigations, and find solutions that enable a better understanding of Hawaiian volcanoes,” Kauahikaua said in HVO’s weekly Volcano Watch column.

Topics to be discussed include not only volcanic activity at or near the surface but also the tracing of magma from deep below the earth’s surface, including its ascent and storage inside a volcano.

Jim Kauahikaua. UH photo.

Activities will include field trips which will allow scientists to view first-hand “world-class” volcanic deposits, Kauahikaua said. The final day of the conference will focus on the future of volcano research in Hawai`i.

The conference is hosted by the American Geophysical Union and organized by scientists from HVO and the University of Hawai`i at Hilo.