Hawaii is burning with blue flames: the eruption of the Kilauea volcano is gaining momentum
Hawaii is on fire — since the beginning of May, the Kilauea volcano has not stopped erupting on the Big Island. Due to seismic activity, another 13 volcanoes that surround the archipelago may wake up. Now it is impossible not only to fly near Hawaii (the ash of a volcano can clog into aircraft engines), but also to swim, because lava rivers drain into the waters of the Pacific Ocean, forming toxic clouds.
The big island of Hawaii has remained in the disaster zone since the beginning of the month. One of the most active active volcanoes in the world, Kilauea, is raging there.
In three weeks, lava flows spread for 24 kilometers and reached the Pacific Ocean. When in contact with lava, seawater boils, forming clouds of acid vapor, water vapor and glassy particles.
Boiling water throws fire fountains and lava fragments into the air. The spray takes off to a height of up to 30 meters.
However, before reaching the ocean, the lava destroyed about 50 residential buildings and dozens of other buildings on its way.
Due to the eruption, more than 2 thousand residents were evacuated from the territory affected by the volcano and air transportation was canceled.
Rivers of lava have approached the geothermal power plant, which provides the Big Island with 25% of all electricity. After that, the elements reached the water about 5 kilometers east of the power plant.
On the east coast of the island, you can observe lava fountains that erupt from cracks 40 meters deep. Three weeks ago, the cracks erupted less intensively. Volcanologists explained that then the remaining magma from past eruptions came out, and now — fresh lava, whose flows will erupt more powerfully and higher.
Now the height of lava fountains can reach 100 meters, and volcanologists are sure that this is not the limit. In 1955, the eruption of Kilauea lasted several months, and now history can repeat itself.
The authorities are distributing masks that protect people from volcanic ash. This week, the first victim of the eruption appeared on the island. A man standing on the balcony of the third floor received a serious leg injury from lava splashes.
Now the situation has worsened by the fact that methane has started to come out of the ground, it flares up and catches fire. At any moment, everything can end in an explosion.
But at the same time, do not overestimate the scale of the eruption: one of the Reddit users clearly demonstrated them by posting the following picture.