Hawaii volcano eruption predictions: Is Kilauea still erupting? Will it erupt again?
LAVA is pouring into the sea and triggering a chemical reaction that is creating clouds of acid and fine glass following a series of volcanic eruptions on Hawaii’s Big Island. But is the Hawaii volcano still erupting - and will it happen again?
Expert issues warning about toxic gas from Hawaii volcano
More than 2,000 people have been evacuated from their homes since May 3 due to toxic lava flows from the Hawaii Kilauea volcano.
The first eruptions saw fissures spewing lava which had ben sitting in the volcano for up to 60 years.
USGS data revealed this week the lava being produced is now fresher and is coming from deeper within the volcano.
Scientist-In-Charge at the US Geological Survey (USGS) Michael Poland has warned the ongoing eruptions could continue for months.
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He said: "It’s difficult to say with any certainty. Forecasting the end is surprisingly hard.”
The latest explosive eruption at the Kilauea summit occurred shortly before 6 pm local time, the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory reported.
Molten lava from the erupting Kilauea Volcano on Hawaii's Big Island also crept onto a geothermal power plant site yesterday, as workers rushed to shut down the facility to prevent the uncontrollable release of toxic gases.
Kilauea has opened up 22 fissures so far, which has devastated homes and structures across the island.
The latest explosive eruption at the Kilauea summit occurred shortly before 6 pm local time, the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory reported.
Molten lava from the erupting Kilauea Volcano on Hawaii's Big Island also crept onto a geothermal power plant site yesterday, as workers rushed to shut down the facility to prevent the uncontrollable release of toxic gases.
Kilauea has opened up 22 fissures so far, which has devastated homes and structures across the island.
The first serious injury was reported on Saturday, after a man standing on the third floor balcony of his home had his leg splattered with lava.
Two streams of hot lava have also reached the sea and created laze, a mix of hydrochloric acid fumes, steam and tiny-glass-like particles, which can reach 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit (1,093 degrees Celsius).
The laze was formed after a massive cloud of volcanic haze cut across Highway 137 on the south coast of Hawaii's Big Island late on Saturday and early Sunday.
Two streams of hot lava have also reached the sea and created laze, a mix of hydrochloric acid fumes, steam and tiny-glass-like particles, which can reach 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit (1,093 degrees Celsius).
The laze was formed after a massive cloud of volcanic haze cut across Highway 137 on the south coast of Hawaii's Big Island late on Saturday and early Sunday.
Dr Jessica Johnson, a volcanologist, explained how the “very toxic” reaction takes place during the Hawaii volcano eruption.
She said: “Laze is a mashup of the two words lava and haze, so it is like smog which is smoke and fog.
“Laze is created through a chemical reaction when lava meets the ocean so because the ocean is salt water there is a chemical reaction and hydrochloric acid is created.
“There can be some small explosions which push tiny droplets of hydrochloric acid into the air and it also makes tiny little fragments of volcanic glass which can be caught up in the hot temperatures.
“Laze is very toxic it can be very hot and it is very unpredictable so far as how much is produced and when it is produced.”
Tourism, which is Big Island’s largest industry, has been affected since the volcano began spewing lava and toxic gases on May 3.
Tourism authorities say summer bookings for hotels on Hawaii's Big Island have fallen almost 50 per cent and and hotel rooms will remain unoccupied despite huge price cuts.Cruise ships have cancelled stops and the closure of the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, the state's top tourist destination, will cost the island $166million (£124million) alone, the National Park Service said on Monday.
Tourism is also the islands biggest employer, as it provided more than 30 per cent of private sector jobs in 2017.
