Quote:
Originally Posted by GrahamL
How far are the big scopes away from this Gary ? ..Volcanism is a most amazing part of our world..
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The optical observatories are about 33km away as the crow flies, but
they are on the neighboring peak. Since its all downhill in every direction
from where the eruption is, the Manua Kea optical observatories will not be
under any direct threat.
However, lava flows are within 6km of the NOAA atmospheric observatories
atop Mauna Loa. There are several other instruments in that vicinity as
well such as the Asteroid Terrestrial-Impact Last Alert System (ATLAS),
which identifies near-Earth asteroids as well as instruments for measuring
the microwave background radiation.
The road to the top of Mauna Loa, Observatory Road, is cut through
the old lava fields which extend over vast areas. If the flows continue,
that road might get cut off.
Snapshots :-
The Observatory Road cutting through the lava fields to the top of Manua Loa.
The view of the summit of Mauna Kea, where the big scopes are, from the summit of Mauna Loa.
The NOAA atmospheric observatory. The premiere location for CO2 readings.