Hawaii volcano update: How long has Kilauea been erupting for?
GETTY Hawaii volcano update: How long has Kilauea been erupting for?
Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano continues to erupt this week, as lava oozes out of 23 fissures in Puna forcing thousands to flee their homes. The Hawaii volcano’s lava flow has destroyed more than 80 properties so far, with United States Geological Survey (USGS) scientists still unable to determine when the eruptions might stop. Hordes of residents have evacuated the region, particularly in the Leilani Estates where the lava has taken over more than half the area. The volcano has remained one of the most active on Big Island.
How long has Kilauea been active? The volcano has been active for more than 35 years, with the volcano continuously erupting since 1983 - however, the recent eruptions have been explosive. Kilauea has erupted like this on two previous occasions, in 1924, when one man died after 10-tonne rocks were hurled into the air, and in 1983, when the Pu’u O’o vent collapsed, sending lava 1,500 feet into the air. Large explosions along the East Rift Zone are rare, but recent earthquakes dislodged much of the ground near the area causing massive amounts of damage. Asta Miklius, a geophysicist from the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, said there is no way to know exactly how long the eruption will continue. "One of the parameters is going to be whether the summit magma reservoir starts to drain in response to this event, and that has not happened yet," Mr Miklius said. "There is quite a bit of magma in the system. It won't be just an hours-long eruption probably... so we are watching that very, very closely."
GETTY The volcano has been erupting violently this month
Hawaii volcano: Dramatic pictures of Kilauea volcano destroying homes Wed, May 30, 2018 Hawaii volcano eruption 2018: Dramatic pictures as lava from the Kilauea volcano eruptions destroys over 40 homes in the area. Play slideshow EPA 1 of 36 An aerial view of a home bursting into flames as it is consumed by lava in Pahoa
GETTY The lava flow has displaced more than 10,000 people so far
How long has Kilauea been erupting for? Kilauea finally erupted explosively in 2018 after more than 250 earthquakes struck the region in a 24-hour period on April 30. Earthquakes continued to rock the area, dislodging the crater floor and forcing lava to explode out through several fissures in the Leilani Estates and Lanipuna Gardens subdivision. Some of the earthquakes measured more than 5 magnitude, destroying the inside of the volcano to cause a massive eruption.
GETTY Lava flow has destroyed more than 70 properties so far