From emergency response to strategic planning: A Kilauea case study

When volcanoes erupt, the force of explosions and lava dramatically change the landscape, impacting the geography and the lives of those who live and work nearby. This is especially true on the southern tip of Hawaii, which is home to the world’s most active volcano, Kilauea.

Responding to Kilauea’s 2018 eruptions, federal, state and local organizations swung into action to evacuate and protect residents across an almost 14 square mile area that was covered by lava. One interagency group—which included the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO), U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the state of Hawaii—teamed up to monitor geographic changes and assess damage during the volcano’s four-month active period, as well as gather more information afterwards to help first responders and scientists model and predict future activity for the enhanced safety of residents.

Flying into an active volcano
In May 2018 lava erupted from two dozen vents around Kilauea, filling Kapoho Bay and extending new land nearly a mile into the sea. Destructive rivers of molten rock consumed Hawaii’s largest natural freshwater lake and covered substantial sections of residential communities.

First responders, as well as local, state and federal agencies, had to quickly figure out the risk to surrounding areas, then evacuate residents and prevent people from going into areas that could be threatened by lava flows. While first responders worked on the ground, the HVO pulled together a team including NV5 Geospatial and GEO1 (now a division of NV5 Geospatial) in a groundbreaking partnership to document an active volcano and assess the situation from above.

Chronicling the landscape impact of an active volcano required innovative use of both existing and new technologies. Airborne remote sensing was the only way to acquire the data safely and economically while calderas were erupting and lava was flowing. In coordination with the National Park Service, our partners at the HVO, local agencies and air traffic controllers, our team flew 11 missions in six days, collecting lidar and imagery over 57 square miles, including the Halema‛uma‛u crater, middle East Rift Zone, and lower East Rift Zone and Pu’Ū ’Ō’Ō lava flow field.

Using a helicopter equipped with a state-of-the-art multi-sensor package—dual Riegl VUX-1 LR lidar sensors co-housed with Phase One iXM RGB and NIR 100MP and Oblique RGB cameras—we had the flexibility and agility required to collect data at a low altitude (500 feet above ground level) under persistent cloud cover. Careful planning ensured that we could collect high density lidar (40-80 pulse/m2) and imagery, while also allowing for real-time adaptations in flight height to avoid lava vents, gas clouds and debris.

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