Hawaii lava flow engulfs more homes as ash plume ascends
Molten rock from two huge cracks formed a single channel and traveled 1000 feet in under an hour, twice the speed of previous flows of older lava that have torn through homes, roads and tropical forest for over two weeks, the County of Hawaii’s Civil Defense Agency said.
The new lava, which is flowing east underground from the sinking lava lake at Kilauea’s summit, is expected to create more voluminous flows that travel further, threatening homes and a coastal road that is a key exit route for about 2000 residents.
“There is much more stuff coming out of the ground and its going to produce flows that will move much further away,” said US Geological Survey scientist Wendy Stovall on a conference call with reporters. Up at the volcano’s summit, some 25 miles (40 km) to the east, the second large explosive eruption occurred around midnight, with winds blowing ash onto communities southwest of the crater, the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory reported.
Scientists expect Kilauea, one of the world’s most active volcanoes, to experience a series of explosive eruptions that could spread ash and volcanic smog across the Big Island, the southernmost of the Hawaiian archipelago. That could pose a hazard to jet engines if it blows into aircraft routes around 30,000 feet (9144 meters). There have been no reported injuries or deaths since the latest eruption began on 3 May.
Lava crossed a road on Friday near the Leilani Gardens housing development in lower Puna district, cutting off around 40 homes.