I recently visited the Big Island of Hawaii and witnessed the destructive power of the shield volcano known as Kilauea.
Kilauea, as with other Hawaiian volcanoes was not formed at diverging or converging plates, but rather the result of hot spots within the mantle that resulted in the outpouring of basalt onto the Earth's surface.
Kilauea is a shield volcano, characterized by its shallow gradient. Shield volcanoes often form due to the release of highly viscous lava that is able to travel large distances over a shallow gradient. These lava flows typically have high silica and gas content which results in its fluidity. Lava like this, referred to as pahoehoe by Hawaiians, often travel in lava tubes which allow the flowing lava to retain heat, thus allowing it to travel further.
Kilauea erupted continuously from 1983 until September 2018 after an explosive eruption from its vents destroyed hundreds of homes in May 2018.
According to the USGS, Kilauea is still an active volcano but most likely won't erupt again for several more years. Because it is still active, it should still be seen as a threat in the area.
 |
| Image retrieved from https://www.theatlantic.com/photo/2018/06/photo-updates-from-kilauea-dozens-more-homes-destroyed/562241/ Sources: |
No comments:
Post a Comment