Re: Snow on Mauna Loa caldera

Belba Grubb wrote:

John, thank you for the information about the gases affecting the snow
cover. I hadn't realized that before and hadn't managed to locate any
of the fumaroles in the panorama before, either - now there are
"tracks" to follow.

Just as the sun rises, there are sometimes visible steam plumes rising from the hottest and dampest cracks. If you wish, I could email a few captured frames that show some of these, but the snow cover shows where to look for them. There is a broad line of missing snow across the panorama that follows this line of weak steam vents.

I check in every sunrise at about 12 noon, eastern time, when the temperature is low, the air most likely to be still, and the sun skimming along the surface to light up the fume against a darkened background.

--
Regards,

John Popelish
.