Lava flow closes in on Hawaii power plant

Should they not be flying in sandbags to build a containment wall in an attempt to protect the powerplant perimeter?

Should they not be flying in sandbags to build a containment wall

How do you imagine sandbags would contain flowing lava? The hot molten stone hits the bags - the bags catch fire - the sand spills out - the lava flows on regardless.

I'm not sure there's much that can be done to stop a lava flow, even just redirecting it is a major headache and not always successful.

Now isn't it a good thing nobody was so stupid as to build a nuclear power plant in this area of known volcanic/earthquake activity?

The geothermal plant makes sense being where it is; the residential neighborhoods do NOT make sense where they are. Their location was, is and will continue to be foolish. The longest continually active volcano in the world is not a good place to live but it’s a good place to tap free energy.

First, we build geothermal plants where there is geothermal energy. Geothermal energy comes from volcanic activity, even those in California which are not close to active volcanoes (we think). The one in Hawaii was built on the flank of a volcano because (wait for it) that's where the energy is, and a lot of it.

Cleo, the lava is actually pouring in the other direction away from the plant, but there is some splash/spillover on this side. Thus burst sandbags, anything, to create an artificial bump could just stop the creep into the garden.

Actually Big Island is made up of five volcanoes. Kohala, Mauna Kea, Hualalai, Mauna Loa, and Kilauea

nankakandamanda,

Lava stops at nothing. Sand isn’t going to bother it one bit. Plus, by putting something in the way of a lava flow (which is at about 2,000 degrees) endangers whoever has to put it there.

I believe Iceland succesfully stopped a lava flow by shooting 1.5 BILLION gallons of freezing cold water at it for FIVE months. One attempt in Italy was an 18 meter high, 10 meter wide concrete wall. The wall lost. (Other walls at the same time and place helped.)

IF there is a small splash moving toward the power plant, more than sand will be needed to stop it.

The most positive step toward stopping a lava flow is for the volcanoe to stop producing lava.

At least Hawaii doesn't have any Nuclear plants.. here's hoping we don't see something like this in Japan near a Nuclear Power Station...

Stopping lava flows link:

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-29136747

@ Zichi I love the link, its very interesting, what I find mesmerising is the planet has been around for x billion years, and its still not cooled down in the centre, its still XX thousand degrees.

nandakandamanda

From the dailymail: """The man was on a third-floor balcony when he was hit by lava spatter that shattered his leg from shin to foot. Lava spatters can weight as much as a fridge and even small pieces of spatter can kill.""" Yikes!

That sand would have to catch fridges. The fridges are going to win.

This is about nature in charge, nothing we puny mortals can do but respect it

Interesting article, borscht. Thanks. The answer seems to depend on several factors, but it does suggest that at least you may be able to buy some time through diversionary tactics.

There was a lot of opposition to the Puna Geothermal Venture facility when it was in the infant stage, there still is. The "sustainable" community objected to the threat to their lifestyle, property owners were concerned about the impact on the land value and local residents were worried about possible health problems. One loud voice in the opposition was that of native Hawaiian, traditional cultural practitioners. They saw the plant as an affront to their culture and a desecration of sacred ground.

They warned that Madam Pele would punish the humans who dared to commit such a sacroledge on her sacred home. It was never a matter of if, it was always just a matter of when. Looks like when, is now.

As to the discussion about diversionary tactics, nothing will work. Madam Pele will always win. It's been tried and she hasn't been foiled yet. Wayback, someone had the idea of bombing the lava to divert it, they flew a bombing run right along the leading edge of the flow. No effect. But legend has it that all of the flight crews in those bombers met with grisley and untimely deaths. Like I said Pele always wins.