
Areas that will be covered by a helicopter lidar survey in June 2019. Red lines enclose areas over which the survey helicopter will fly at 396 m (1,300 ft) above ground level. Green lines enclose areas over which the helicopter will fly at 151 m (500 ft) above ground level. USGS map.
by Big Island Video News10:36 am
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STORY SUMMARY
HAWAIʻI ISLAND - A low-flying helicopter under contract to the U.S. Geological Survey will conduct a survey to document changes that occurred during the 2018 Kilauea volcanic activity.
(BIVN) – A helicopter survey to document the changes that occurred during the recent eruption of Kīlauea Volcano will occur this month.
The survey, which was recently detailed in a USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory Volcano Watch article, will take 8 to 10 days to complete. The survey is currently scheduled between June 13 and June 30, 2019, weather permitting.
In a notice issued Monday, the USGS HVO said a low-flying helicopter will conduct the survey using lidar, or Light Detection and Ranging. “Lidar is the best way to detect and map vertical or near-vertical features, such as fissures, ground cracks, and caldera walls,” USGS said. “Data acquired during this survey can be used to model likely paths that lava flows may take during future eruptions, which can help mitigate future lava flow hazards.”
In the notice, the USGS wrote: