Hawaii Pacific Review

by Julie Jones

Pele’s Dolphins: When lava flow reaches speeds in excess of 28 kilometers per hour within a channel that has developed standing waves, oblong clumps of lava may be seen to leap out of the channel like dolphins at play. The conditions present for this phenomenon to occur indicate radical subsurface shifting of tectonic plates in the volcanic region on the order of three meters per day which allow massive new globules of magma to jet upwards into an existing volcanic edifice. Pele’s dolphins are the first observable evidence of this underlying though undetectable activity.
Source: F. Ka`uhane and D. Sepúlveda. “Detecting Magma Sources from Observable Phenomena: New Insights from Kilauea.” Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, vol. 365, no. 2, pp. 126-137 (2021).

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United States Geological Survey Form 1021B
Personnel Management Report
Subject: Danissa Sepúlveda
Submitted by: Agna Grímsdóttir
Date: July 20, 2018

It is with deep regret that I am compelled to submit this report to the official file of Dr. Danissa Sepúlveda. I had recruited her only six months previous from the Chilean Ministry of Geology and Minerals on the belief that her experience with the Andean Volcanic Belt might spark fresh insights here. Her field notes related to the incidents in question are attached as Appendix A to this report, and her video logs have been archived on the H:/ drive. However, if any failure is found with the handling of this affair, responsibility should be laid on me. Continue reading →