NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

MORNING REPORT

Thursday, March 10, 2011

INCIDENTS

Hawaii Volcanoes NP

Kamoamoa Eruption Continues

The eruption on Kilauea, now being referred to as the Kamoamoa Eruption, is continuing with considerable intensity, with lava spatters to heights of 200 feet. Fissures are feeding a lava flow that extends nearly two miles from its source; near the fissure, the flow is hot, ropy pahoehoe, but at its terminus, the flow turns to a clinkery jumble of ‘a‘a (click on HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lava" this link for Wikipedia descriptions of these two kinds of flows and other volcanic phenomena). The flow volume is calculated at 2.5 million cubic meters per day, five times more than Kilauea has been putting out from the east rift during the past several years. Lava flows have covered 162 acres of park land. East rift zone sulfur dioxide gas emissions are at 10,000 tonnes per day, significantly elevated above the 300 tonnes per day measured during the past several months and as recently as March 5th, prior to the fissure eruption. Lava-ignited wildfires have burned 78 acres of rain forest. The forest downwind of the fissures is choked by volcanic fumes; dieback of some ferns, shrubs, and trees is certain. Meanwhile, the park continues to enforce closures and operate under ICS (Gail Minami-Judd, IC). [Mardie Lane, Public Affairs Officer]

Lake Mead NRA

Suicide Victim Found In Truck In River

On March 6th, Lake Mead and Grand Canyon rangers received a report of a vehicle and a body in the Colorado River at the Pearce Ferry raft takeout. Upon arrival, rangers found a Toyota pickup partially submerged in the river and a man's body lying on the bank. River rafters, who discovered the truck, had pulled the man's body from the river. Investigators found a firearm in the vehicle and have concluded that the man took his own life with it. [John Bland, Supervisory Park Ranger]

OTHER NEWS

The following stories are among those in today's edition of InsideNPS. To see the full text, including images, NPS employees should go to the InsideNPS home page ( HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=index" http://inside.nps.gov/index.cfm?handler=index). Non-NPS employees can see most of them on the NPS Digest page ( HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/):

Office of Communications - New National Park Service web pages were launched yesterday that communicate the agency's broader mission. They include individual state pages. A link is provided.

Office of Communications - Director Jarvis testified yesterday in support of the Administration's FY 2012 budget request, which assures the continued stewardship of this nation's most cherished treasures and make a landmark investment in engaging people, particularly youth.

Visitor and Resource Protection - The WASO Visitor and Resource Protection group (VRP) is seeking your assistance in building a photo library for use with web and print publications. Photo.

Big Bend NP - “Jeep,” one of the park's backcountry patrol horses, retired from the NPS on March 3rd. Photo.

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Prepared by the Division of Law Enforcement, Security and Emergency Services, Washington Office, with the support of the Office of Communications and the Office of the Chief Information Officer. Edited by Bill Halainen ( HYPERLINK "mailto:Bill_Halainen@nps.gov" Bill_Halainen@nps.gov).

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