EXPLAINER: Is Hawaii's Kilauea volcano going to erupt again?

HONOLULU – The crushed astatine the acme of Kilauea volcano successful Hawaii has been rumbling and swelling successful caller days, prompting scientists to pass that the upland could erstwhile again disgorge lava. But there's nary denotation an eruption is imminent. The volcano, which is among the world's astir active, has behaved likewise successful the past without immoderate magma breaking the surface.

Here's an overview of the latest developments astatine Kilauea:

WHAT ACTIVITY ARE SCIENTISTS SEEING?

Scientists astatine the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory connected Monday noticed a surge of earthquakes and the crushed swelling astatine the confederate portion of the crater astatine Kilauea's summit. There are indications magma is shifting astir a half-mile to a mile (1 to 2 kilometers) beneath the surface.

It's not uncommon for Kilauea to person earthquakes, which could bespeak rocks are moving. It's besides not antithetic for the crushed to swell arsenic the vigor from the prima and saturation from rainfall tin origin the crushed to grow and contract.

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However, earthquakes and crushed swelling astatine the aforesaid clip whitethorn bespeak magma is connected the move.

“We get a batch of earthquakes present and we get a batch of deformation here, but the operation of the 2 makes america overmuch much aware," said Jefferson Chang, a geophysicist astatine the observatory, which is portion of the U.S. Geological Survey.

There person been hundreds of earthquakes since Monday, striking arsenic often arsenic 25 times an hour. The strongest measured magnitude 3, with astir coming successful betwixt magnitude 1 and 2 At these levels, the quakes are mostly excessively tiny for radical to notice. Chang said determination haven't been immoderate reports of radical feeling them.

WHERE IS THE ACTIVITY HAPPENING?

It's occurring astatine the acme of Kilauea volcano, an uninhabited country wrong Hawaii Volcanoes National Park connected the Big Island. This is astir 200 miles southeast of Honolulu, which is connected a antithetic land called Oahu

The tract is miles from the nearest town. The parkland has adjacent disconnected this portion of the acme to the nationalist since 2008.

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Ben Hayes, the park's mentation and acquisition programme manager, said the parkland is preparing for a imaginable eruption, but helium said there's thing to beryllium alarmed about. “It's a earthy process astatine 1 of the world's astir progressive volcanoes,” helium said.

HAS THIS HAPPENED BEFORE?

Chang said scientists observed enactment successful the aforesaid portion of the acme successful 2015. That occurrence lasted 3 days, and the volcano didn't erupt. Just similar this time, the crushed swelled. One quality is that determination were much earthquakes then.

The past clip Kilauea erupted astatine the confederate portion of its caldera oregon crater was successful 1974.

WHAT’S THE CURRENT SITUATION?

The earthquake swarm stopped astir 4:30 a.m. Monday. The crushed swelling has besides subsided. But the enactment could return. Chang said sometimes there's a lull successful enactment lasting a time oregon two.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO CHANGE THE ALERT LEVEL?

The observatory changed Kilauea's volcano alert level to ticker from advisory connected Tuesday, meaning the upland was showing heighted unrest with accrued imaginable to erupt.

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But scientists don't cognize erstwhile that eruption whitethorn occur, if it does. If scientists judge a hazardous eruption is imminent, they volition alteration the alert level to warning.

The observatory besides changed the aviation colour codification to “orange,” alerting pilots that there's imaginable for an eruption and they whitethorn request to debar the country if 1 occurs.

HOW OFTEN HAS KILAUEA ERUPTED BEFORE?

Hawaiian chants and stories archer the stories of countless eruptions. In Hawaiian tradition, Kilauea is location to the volcano goddess Pele.

Kilauea has erupted 34 times since 1952. From 1983 to 2018, it erupted astir continuously, successful immoderate cases sending streams of lava that covered farms and homes. At the extremity of this decades-long eruption, Kilauea spewed lava from vents successful a residential vicinity connected its eastbound flank and destroyed much than 700 homes.

In December, Kilauea erupted astatine the crater, creating a water with capable lava to capable 10 Hoover dams. That eruption ended successful May.

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