Hawaii volcano update: Will the earthquake spark another volcano eruption?
HAWAII’S Big Island was faced with yet more disruption as a magnitude 5.5 earthquake shook the island just 5km southwest of Kilauea Volcano. The largest earthquake since a magnitude 6.9 rattled the island on May 4, could this earthquake trigger another eruption?
By GEORGINA LAUD
Express.co.uk
Mon, Jun 4, 2018
Big Island has been plagued with molten lava, toxic gases, and spreading fissures since May 3, causing evacuations of thousands of residents.
The ongoing volcanic activity has also seen near constant earthquakes, with over 500 reported in the summit area of Kilauea in the past 24 hours alone.
Most of these earthquakes have been measured in magnitude 2-3 range.
The earthquake that took place at 3:51 pm local time (1:51 am BST) has been the biggest in a month, with fears it could not only spark another eruption but a tsunami as well.
However, according to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, the earthquake was not large enough to trigger a Tsunami.
The PTWC also stated that preliminary data “indicates that the earthquake measuring a magnitude of 5.5 was centered at the Kilauea Summit.”
Residents who felt the earthquake have been warned to stay prepared for aftershocks, particularly checking that any gas, water or electricity mains remain intact.
Will the earthquake spark another eruption?
Whilst there has not been an eruption directly from the summit of Kilauea, constant fissure eruptions are continuing to spew lava across the island.
Fissures are volcanic vents which erupt lava through cracks in the surface of the earth rather than from the volcano’s summit.
Magma rises, attempting to find the easiest route to the surface. This then causes cracks in the earth, for molten lava to escape.
Fissure 8 has been the most explosive, currently feeding “a large channelized flow” of lava which is travelling downslope towards Kapoho.
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