Hawaii volcano eruption UPDATE: USGS fears YEARS will pass before Kilauea lava empties
HAWAII’S erupting Kilauea volcano could take many more years before it fully empties its underground reservoirs of molten lava, United States Geological Survey (USGS) scientists gravely warned.
By SEBASTIAN KETTLEY
Express.co.uk
Mon, Jun 18, 2018
Scientists fear the lava released by Kilauea so far has not even scratched the surface of its hidden magma reserves.
When asked if the Hawaii volcano’s chambers will empty any time soon, the US agency admitted there is no accurate way of knowing.
The USGS said: “We’re not exactly sure how much magma is stored beneath the summit.
“We have only estimates, but we are confident it is at least in excess of 100 times what has been erupted so far from Fissure Eight.
“So we would need years of the current eruption rate to empty the summit.
“The pressure beneath the summit is already quite low, so it’s unlikely that such a scenario could ever come into play.
“Some level of pressure is needed to drive the magma form the summit to the lower East Rift Zone eruption site.”
The USGS added it is also unlikely the Kilauea summit will collapse in on itself despite intense volcanic activity around the slumping crater.
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