DIVERGENT EVOLUTION OF PUBLIC POLICIES ON ATMOSPHERIC AND THERMAL HAZARDS IN KILAUEA CALDERA CAVES

Major thermal hazards exist in some of the 200+ caves in the 1919 lava flow in Hawaii's Kilauea Caldera. Largely informal policies of administrators of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory permitted members of the Hawaii Speleological Survey to develop and publish field criteria for exposures to temperatures up to 51 degrees C in 100% humidity. Recognition and use of 1) shifts in underground winds and 2) thermostratification permitted studies in caves with temperatures locally exceeding 67 degrees C. Occasional mild hyperthermia was easily recognized and treated with electrolyte replacement. This somewhat informal public policy proved highly successful and remains in place.

Simultaneously, investigators of these caves were exposed to a variety of low-level volcanic fumes and gases, but these presented a much less serious risk. All underground studies were directed by a retired Fellow of the American College of Chest Physicians. Except in one tiny cave where HCl fumes quickly limited studies to the length of a single breath, no pulmonary problem developed during or after any of the approximately 500 cave entries over an 11 year period. This included a period of almost one year when the summit CO2 emission of the volcano had increased 100 to 150% over its base line. On one earlier occasion, CO2 elevation was suspected in one cave, but gas monitoring by USGS staff showed no concentration above 0.8% (American and Australian speleologists have published results of cave studies performed in up to 6% CO2).

With this study about 95% complete in 2005, new administrators abruptly reversed the local policies which had permitted it, and the project was halted. This was not because of the continuing major thermal hazard in some of the caves. Instead, it was because of speculation and conjecture about concentrations of CO2 in some or all of the caves. Ignored in this reversal were 1) basic principles of pulmonary physiology, and 2) federal standards promulgated by the National Commission on Risk Assessment and Risk Management. An international furor ensued, and the study was completed only with undue difficulty and expense. The GSA's new Geology and Health Division may be able to play an important role in preventing or minimizing such shifts in public policies.