VOLCANIC PROCESSES FOR THE PUBLIC: NOT JUST ANOTHER PRETTY LAVA VIDEO

Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park is world-renowned for its active and “approachable” volcanic activity. However, most of the millions of visitors to the Park never see molten lava, or see it only from a distance. What they, and visitors to other volcanic parks and monuments, do see is a landscape shaped by many different types of volcanic processes. Explaining these concepts verbally or even using photographs can be confusing to a nongeologist audience. We have found that video is a powerful tool for actually showing these different dynamic processes in action and helping visitors understand the forces at work on a volcano.

We have spent over 12 years collecting footage that documents all types of activity on Kilauea volcano for public display as well as for scientific research. With telephoto lenses and time-lapse photography, processes too small or too slow to be noticed by the casual observer can be captured on video and reveal the most subtle behavior of lava flows. Using this footage, we can more easily demonstrate how specific features form. The video productions created can be either stand-alone pieces to be played in a museum or visitor center theater or used as a centerpiece for public lectures. As an example, we will show a short video showing and explaining the formation of lava tubes, caves common in many volcanic parks, whose origins are commonly misunderstood by visitors.