The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1886-04-06
Damaiian 6azette.
TUESDAY, APRIL 6, 1855.
A COMPARISON {
Between Certain Phenomena
OF THE
LAVA LAKES OF KILAUEA
AND 0JL0E 80
Some of Those Traceable in the Sun.
LAKES OF KILAUEA
Som. of Those rraes.sl. in the Sun.
HnnclnfeH

in my view nothing else-which breaks u
the crust again. An actual increase OF Yo
ume is to be seen, for after break n
there will otter bevisible around the side
of the lakes few feet OF red hot Inoitel
rock, a sort Of high water mark, which be
fore the next break up is covered again
As the heat-and consequent Volume
the lava which has come from below IN
creases. its specific gravity decreases, ant
it has now less ability to sustain the crust
which has thus been gradually subject t
four disintegrating actions at once, namel,
to tension-from the rise of the lava be
meath, to sinking from the less densit,
Of its fluid support, to re=meltlng; nnally
to the action of more violent convection
currents as the difference between tn
temperature of the lava and that of tn
atmosphere becomes greater. 1t therefor
breaks up and exposes the white hot Law;
beneath it to radiation. But now, few
moments undoes, what it may have take1
perhaps two hours to effect. The lately
accumulated heat escapes with wonderful
rapidity. rs ones face and hands will ties
tify: the white hot lava seems to flash ovel
with new black CLASSY skin, as the ole
crust tips up on end in great flashes, anc
is taken down by the cyclonic convection
currents, where it is, no doubt soon re
melted The whole breaking up process:
is cooling process, and the new crust ha:
therefore an opportunity of remaining
quietly on the cooled upper layers OF mel
ten lava But now the more slowly acting
conyection-process begins again, and the
| whole phenomenon Is in due course re
pested. ... -elH. .E|.N &.
If these comparisons between sun spot
action and the break up of the kilauea
lakes are fairly justifable, it becomes g
further interesting point to note, that il
been the subject of discussion whether the
sun radiates more heat or less heat during
a maximum sun-spot period than at othel
times, and delicate instruments have beer
employed to endeaEor to ascertain this
The bottom Of the spots has been found tc
be cooler than the general surface-the
faculae hotter. 1t seems difficult matter &c
get areliable average of the amounted heat
radiated at the two periods, although the
weight of opinion seems to be that there
is more heat radiated in maximum sun.
spot period, but theories of climate have
been preached which adopt the opposite
view.
Taking the break up of the Kilauea
lakes to represent the maximum sun-spot
period, there is no question as TO which
radiates most heat, for although the whole
breaking up process in the lakes is cool
ing process and there is q downrush OF
cold air, the surface of the hotter lavas
becomes exposed, an intense heat is given
out, for the evidence of which, a scorched
face will often furnish sufficiently reli-
able recording instrument. As Professor
Stewart has pointed out, sun spot period
is one of unusually violent convection cur
rents, and one therefore at which the hot
ter interior matter would be exposed at
the surface. The Kilauea phenomena
then, so far confirm the opinion that there
is greater radiation of heat at the maxi
mum sun-spot periods, and they may assist
in indicating the causes forit. 1t must
not be forgotten however, that any one Of
the Kilauea lakes may for days or weeks
happen to keep its general surface in a
very hot, ylscous and somewhat mobile
condition, and then the usual break up
may not occur, and such small matter as
the passage of smoke over it, may induce
this state; but there is then, usually, a
strong but steady setting at the sides
showing that the convection currents are
so to speak-quietly at work, whilst the
viscous scum all over the lake is slowly
drawn towards those spots where the set
ting occurs. This phase may perhaps
represent better than the hard crusted
stage, the quieter and spotless periods of
the sun, when eruptions of hydrogen may
occur anywhere, and it shows also how an
ordinarily regular periodical phenomenon.
based upon such delicate principle as the
radiation of heat, may often behave alb
normally without apparent cause r v I
l have not yentured to propose any new
views of the nature of the suns surface
that is of the photosphere- of the suns
spots, or of the suns atmosphere; but tax
ing those views which have been held by
the physicists who have made study of
the subject, select those which, not being
inconsistent with each other, seem to ac-
cord best with what takes place in the XII
lauea lakes. For example, assume that
the photosphere may be of the nature of
highly condensed gases, or a semi-fuid, or
perhaps more like an excessively hot and
freely flowing liquid, each of which has
had its advocates. / assume with Mr. Fave
and others, that the sun spots are cyclonic
depressions in the surface of this fluid
liquid, if may so term it, caused, in the
main, by the stupenduous convection-cur-
rents which Prof Stewart and nearly all
students of the suns surface appeal to.
and which consider are represented in
the Kilauea lava lakes by whirlpools of
white hot molten lava drawing down air
The atmosphere of the sun-which would
the terrestrial atmosphere over
kilauea-I assume to be composed, as usu-
ally understood, mainly of cooler hydro
gen mingled with condensed metallic va
pors. The celebrated 'Hprominences"
around the surface of the sun assume to
Prof. G. A. Young super
heated portions of this immense atmos-
phere," as it returns from the vortices.
This roughly drawn comparison between
the suns surface atmosphere, sun-spots
and prominences, and the whirlpools and
elections at the Kilauoa lava lakes, has not,
80 far, thrown any light upon the preva-
ence of sun-spots in certain zones, nor on
heir periodicity, and which latter has al
most been proved to have some connection
with the distances and position of the
larger planets; but the consideration of
one quality of these white hot Kilauea
laVas, induces me to offer suggestion in
with the problem of the pc
riodicity of sun-spots. That quality is the
sensitiveness of the hotter
molten lavas, which allows an almost i'm
cause, as we have above init
mated to stop their crusting over, or in
other words, to arrest the radiation of their
neat. They seem 10 be, when they first
lash for moment at the surface, not only
hot and liquid, but to be very
violent radiators of heat. DIR. Tyndail
has shown us how slight obstruction may
retard the radiation of heat.
1t has often been remarked that, al
though the connection between the period
between the sun spot maximum and the
periods of certain planets, seems TO be in
heated by observation, it has been found
difficult to assign any adequate physical
cause for the correspondence between the
swo, for it is hardly credible that the at
traction OF such comparatively small and
Instant bodies as the planets, could so
greatly effect the suns surface.
May it be the volume, not the mass of
.he planets, to which these solar effects are
Tue? Or, more strictly. it may be the diff
.erent angle subtended at the suns sur
lace by the disc of each planet when nearer
n farther from it, and which when nearer