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Diverting lava flows by artificial means
is a largely untested and costly
option for protecting developed areas. Well-placed barriers may successfully
divert a short-lived lava flow, but during a longer eruption, keeping up with
the sheer volume of lava and the number of flows involved may prove impossible.
During the 1955 eruption of Kilauea's (Hawaii) east rift zone, barriers
temporarily diverted flows from two different plantations, but in both cases,
flows on subsequent days took different routes and ultimately destroyed the
property.
Although a few attempts at lava diversion have been partially successful
elsewhere in the world
such efforts require favorable conditions of topography and property ownership
that can rarely be met in a populated area. Artificial diversion of lava onto
property that otherwise would have been spared could lead to complex legal
problems. Lava diversion, however, is a reasonable option in unpopulated areas
where isolated, high-value property is at risk. For example, diversion
structures have been constructed in Hawaii to protect the Mauna Loa Observatory,
NOAA's atmospheric research station, from future lava flows.
-- Excerpts from: USGS, 1997,
Volcanic and Seismic Hazards on the Island of Hawaii: U. S. Government Printing
Office Special Interest Publication
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