But vulcanologists monitoring and measuring Kilauea’s every move during the past four weeks hastened to add the latest change in the volcano’s behavior, while undoubtedly significant, leaves them uncertain about what will follow. The summit crater, called the ‘Halema’uma’u Crater, which began ejecting ash and volcanic rock in periodic, daily eruptions in mid-May, has grown … Read more
Lava engulfed the heads of two wells that tap into steam and gas deep in the Earth’s core at the 38-megawatt Puna Geothermal Venture on Saturday. Its operator, Israeli-controlled Ormat Technologies Inc , said it had not been able to assess the damage. Residents fear the wells may be explosive. Officials have said the power … Read more
Inland, where molten rock is burning through jungle, methane explosions are hurling boulders while toxic gas is reaching some of the highest levels seen in recent times. These were new risks geologists warned of on Tuesday as Kilauea’s 19-day eruption showed no sign of easing, with repeated explosions at its summit and fountains of lava … Read more
The Hawaii County Civil Defense warned the public to beware of caustic plumes of “laze” formed from two streams of hot lava gushing into the ocean after cutting across Highway 137 on the south coast of the Big Island late Saturday and early Sunday. The laze – a term combining the words lava and haze … Read more
As magma destroyed four more homes, molten rock from two huge cracks merged into a single stream, threatening to block escape routes. It was expected to hit Highway 137 overnight if it kept up its rate and direction of flow, the County of Hawaii’s Civil Defense Agency said. Authorities are trying to open up a … Read more
Large streams of lava have erupted from fissures below Leilani Estates on Hawaii’s Big Island. Aerial images showed numerous fingers of fast-moving lava streams flowing downhill, threatening homes and property in their way. Local media reported that the lava flow was less than a mile (1.6 kilometers) away from Highway 137 that runs along the … Read more
On Saturday, three more homes were reported destroyed, bringing the total to five, said Janet Snyder, a spokeswoman for the mayor of Hawaii County, as eruptions continued following a 6.9 tremor that rocked the island’s southeast corner at midday on Friday. The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said at midday local time on Saturday that “eruptive activity … Read more
