A Hawaiian volcano is blasting out ballistic blocks the size of kitchen appliances and the authorities are warning it could get worse.
Mount Kilauea erupted almost two weeks ago, with lava destroying dozens of homes and forcing hundreds of people to be evacuated. An ash plume rising up to more than 3,000 metre prompted officials to warn pilots to avoid the area. Quakes as strong as magnitude 4.4 have been felt on the largest island.
The floor of the volcano’s caldera (the bowl where lava erupts) is deflating, causing stress at the volcano’s base.
This is causing earthquakes and new fissures to open in the ground, and creating the risk of new, highly explosive steam-powered eruptions as the magma meets underground water.
Source: AIR