Giant rocks spewing from Hawaii volcano summit
miles away from summit, where about 20 lava fissures have destroyed more than two dozen homes and forced the evacuation of about 2,000 residents.
Dense, large rocks roughly two feet in diameter were found in a parking lot a few hundred yards away from Kilauea’s summit crater, which reflect the “most energetic explosions yet observed and could reflect the onset of steam-driven explosive activity,” the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said in a statement, and continues to monitor activity.
Earthquakes continue to shake the Big Island, with the most severe at around 8:30 a.m. producing a 4.4 magnitude quake. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center says there is no tsunami alert at this time.
Scientists say earthquakes may shake loose rocks underground and open up new tunnels for lava to flow.
Hawaii Gov. David Ige said the state is forming a joint task force that could handle mass evacuations of the Big Island’s Puna district if lava from Kilauea volcano covers major roads and isolates the area. The troops may be needed for emergency evacuations, search and rescue, clearing debris and other duties.
On Tuesday, the volcano discharged ash because of rocks falling into the summit, U.S. Geological Survey geophysicist Mike Poland said.
“There is very little wind at the summit,” he said. “The plume, it’s not near as ashy as it was yesterday, and it’s rising more or less vertically over the summit region.”
Because of the ash, USGS scientists operated from a backup command center at the University of Hawaii at Hilo.