>>Narrator UH Manoa student Kelii Alapai:
This is a lava field on the island of Hawaii.
It’s also a classroom for geology and volcanology
students at the University of Hawaii at Hilo,
the only school in the United States with
an active volcano in its backyard.
On this day, an undergraduate volcanology
class hiked through a lava field, where the
towns of Kalapana and Kaimu once stood, to
reach an active lava flow.
A two-and-a-half mile trek under a blazing
sun, over difficult terrain.
>>Meghann Decker, UH Hilo student: A lot of
people don’t get an idea of how intense
hiking on the lava and how vast and expansive
it really is and it is definitely an experience
that I suggest everybody have.
>>Narrator: The students are taught the proper
ways to travel and operate around lava.
They have to bring a lot of water to prevent
dehydration and dress properly.
>>Ken Hon, Geology/Volcanology Professor,
UH Hilo: They have to have boots that won’t
melt they have clothing that won’t melt
(laughs).
>>Narrator: You could accidentally walk into
a lava flow if you are not paying attention
as a slow moving flow can easily blend into
the landscape.
Whatever the speed, it is extremely hot and
can be very dangerous.
>>Hon: I try to teach them how to collect
good data and do it in a safe way.
>>Narrator: The work begins as soon as the
class arrives.
>>Bryan Patterson, UH Hilo student: Well,
we are out here, just getting a few samples,
mapping the flow.
>>Decker: We can actually go out into the
field and learn the field methods and the
fact that we get to come out here in the lava
is pretty awesome.
>>Hon: We can read about things in a book.
We can do math equations and stuff like that
but then it really sets it off for people
when they can actually come out and really
see all of that happen before their eyes.
>>Narrator: The students learn the different
properties of lava and how to determine if
it is fast or slow moving and a threat.
They also take turns wearing a special protective
suit for experiments like measuring the lava’s
temperature.
A once in a lifetime experience for most,
a much more common occurrence for UH Hilo
students.
>>Patterson: It’s great.
It’s hard to describe.
>>Decker: You get to see earth being created.
You can’t do that in many other places.
