Lava to Leaf: Remote Sensing of Post-Eruption Ecological Succession on the 2018 Kīlauea Lava Flows
Academic Level at Time of Presentation
Senior
Major
Geography/GIS
Minor
History
List all Project Mentors & Advisor(s)
Dr. Bassil El Masri; Dr. Haluk Cetin; Mrs. Emily Johnson
Presentation Format
Oral Presentation
Abstract/Description
Famous for its frequent eruptive activity, Kīlauea is the most active volcano on the island of Hawai’i. Its 2018 eruption produced over 35 km2 of lava flows across the southeastern portion of the island. In the following years, ecological succession has brought plant life back to the landscape. The hypotheses of the study are that plant growth is faster near existing forests, increased land surface temperature (LST) has a detrimental impact on plant growth, and lava morphology will have an impact on vegetation growth rates. Using imagery from NASA’s Landsat 8/9 satellites and the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Sentinel-2 satellite, the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), which estimates plant health and density, was used to track the return of vegetation to the lava flow. Thermal imagery was acquired via the Landsat 8/9 satellites. Lava morphology was mapped manually using the ArcGIS Pro Satellite basemap. Results showed that, at this early stage of ecological succession, wind-based seed dispersal was the most important factor in plant growth. LST has an inverse relationship with NDVI value, though it does not explain the majority of NDVI values. The impact of lava morphology on plant growth remains inconclusive and requires further observation. This research furthers the collective knowledge of early primary ecological succession and particularly emphasizes the relationship between lava flow vegetation growth and proximity to existing forests (seed sources).
Spring Scholars Week 2026
Honors College Senior Thesis Presentations
Lava to Leaf: Remote Sensing of Post-Eruption Ecological Succession on the 2018 Kīlauea Lava Flows
Famous for its frequent eruptive activity, Kīlauea is the most active volcano on the island of Hawai’i. Its 2018 eruption produced over 35 km2 of lava flows across the southeastern portion of the island. In the following years, ecological succession has brought plant life back to the landscape. The hypotheses of the study are that plant growth is faster near existing forests, increased land surface temperature (LST) has a detrimental impact on plant growth, and lava morphology will have an impact on vegetation growth rates. Using imagery from NASA’s Landsat 8/9 satellites and the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Sentinel-2 satellite, the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), which estimates plant health and density, was used to track the return of vegetation to the lava flow. Thermal imagery was acquired via the Landsat 8/9 satellites. Lava morphology was mapped manually using the ArcGIS Pro Satellite basemap. Results showed that, at this early stage of ecological succession, wind-based seed dispersal was the most important factor in plant growth. LST has an inverse relationship with NDVI value, though it does not explain the majority of NDVI values. The impact of lava morphology on plant growth remains inconclusive and requires further observation. This research furthers the collective knowledge of early primary ecological succession and particularly emphasizes the relationship between lava flow vegetation growth and proximity to existing forests (seed sources).