80 PROCEEDING? OF THE PRIXCETOX MEETIXG 



AKNTAL DIXXER 



The auiiual dimier of the Society was held in Proctor Memorial Hall, 

 about two hundred persons participating. Frank D. Adams acted as 

 toastmaster, and the speakers of the evening were Eugene A. Smith, 

 George F. Becker, John M. Clarke, J. Stanley-Brown, X. H. Winchell, 

 James F. Kemp, and G. 0. Smith. 



Sessiox of Thursday, Jaxuary 1 



At 9.30 o'clock a. m. a public lecture wa^ given in Palmer Hall by 

 Arthur L. Day on "Some Observations of the Volcano Kilauea in Ac- 

 tion," presenting the main facts of his re^ised paper a^ published in 

 volume 24 of the Bulletin, with additional matter. 



H0:SIE OBSERVATIOXS OF THE VOLCAXO KIILAUEA IX ACTIOy 

 BY ABTHUR L. DAY 



(Abstract) 



This paper is chiefly concerned with the identification of and the reactions 

 between the gaseous ingredients set free by the liquid lava at Kilauea during 

 the summer of 1912. A successful attempt was made to collect these gases 

 directly from the liquid lava at a temperature of about 1,000° before they 

 reached the atmosphere. The collection of the gas before it has become al- 

 tered by combustion with air has proved an insurmountable difliculty hitherto, 

 whether the gases were collected in tubes for analysis in the laboratory or 

 whether they were studied at the point of emergence with the spectroscope. 

 In either case the gases were burned or were in process of combustion, and 

 therefore could not reveal either the true identity or the original relation of 

 the gases participating in volcanic activity below the surface. 



In so far as the present reconnaissance yields final results, it shows that the 

 gases evolved from the hot lava at the Halemaumau crater are H.O. CO, CO, 

 SOo. free H and free vS. with CI. F. N,, and i>erhaps NHg in comparatively in- 

 significant quantity. No argon was found or any of the other rare gases. 



The chief conclusion, on finding this group of gases in association at 1,000° 

 or higher, is that they can not be in equilibrium at that temi>erature and must 

 be in process of active reaction among themselves. There can be no equilib- 

 rium, for example, between free sulphur and SO, (and iK)ssibly SO3, since 

 water was also present), nor between free hydrogen and SO, or CO,. 



This is a conclusion of rather far-reaching consequence, for it must mean 

 that the relative proportions of the gases are constantly in process of local 

 change — a fact which is supported by the very considerable differences between 

 the analyses of the gases contained in different tubes which were filled at the 

 same time. Since these reactions are strongly exothermic, it also follows that 

 a very large and constantly increasing amount of heat is set free during the 



