Latest news with #eruption
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Kīlauea could put on another spectacular show soon
VOLCANO, Hawaii (KHON2) — Kīlauea could put on another spectacular show in the coming days. On May 25, episode 23 left witnesses in awe as lava fountains reached 1,150 feet, which is the highest fountaining since the eruption began in December 2024. 'As soon as episode 23 ended, the activity we saw on the surface stopped but immediately pressure started building up again underneath the ground,' explained Dr. David Phillips, USGS Hawaiian Volcano observatory deputy scientist in charge. He said they use tilt meters and GPS to measure the shape of the ground. 'And we can see the inflation happening right now and that's telling us that the pressure is building up again,' he continued. 'It's the same pattern we've seen before, all previous 23 episodes, so that tells us that yes a 24th episode is coming very soon.' And he says it's likely to begin in the next one to five days. 'It's a higher probability that's when it will start, but it's not guaranteed,' Phillips said. Kīlauea began erupting back on Dec. 23, and has had periodic fountaining episodes ever since. He said the last time there were similar fountaining eruptions like this in the east rift zone was in 1983 at the beginning of the Puʻu ʻŌʻō eruption. 'The last time we had fountains like this at Kīlauea summit was actually back in 1959,' he added. He said that eruption lasted one month and fountains were almost 2,000 feet tall. Experts are not sure if the upcoming episode will mirror Sunday's episode. Phillips said it's just like watching your favorite TV show. 'Just like you never know what's coming next on your favorite episode on TV, we may get something similar, it may be higher, lower we'll find out when episode 24 arrives,' he said. Overnight, USGS reported intermittent glow with occasional spatter in both vents and says strands of volcanic glass also known as Pele's hair are present through the summit area of the park and nearby communities. 'It's nice to look at, but it can be very dangerous because it's shards of glass and it can cut you, don't ingest it, and don't rub it if it gets on your car,' he continued. He said all activity is currently at the summit, and he says any episode could be the last so if you're interested in seeing it, make sure you check out the park in the coming days. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
a day ago
- General
- Yahoo
The closer a volcano is to erupting, the greener the trees around it look from space
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Scientists can tell whether a volcano is about to erupt from the greenness of the trees around it, with more vibrant leaves indicating a potentially imminent blast. Until now, these subtle color changes could be observed only from the ground — but researchers have recently found a way to monitor them from space. A new collaboration between NASA and the Smithsonian Institution could "change the game" when it comes to detecting the first signs of a volcanic eruption, volcanologists said in a statement published by NASA earlier this month. These signs can help to protect communities against the worst effects of volcanic blasts, including lava flows, ejected rocks, ashfalls, mudslides and toxic gas clouds. "Volcano early warning systems exist," Florian Schwandner, a volcanologist and chief of the Earth Science Division at NASA's Ames Research Center in California, said in the statement. "The aim here is to make them better and make them earlier." Current indicators of an imminent volcanic eruption include seismic activity, changes in ground height and sulfur dioxide emissions, which are visible from space. Scientists also look out for carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions linked to magma near Earth's surface, but these are harder to pinpoint with satellites than sulfur dioxide due to the ubiquity of CO2 in the atmosphere. "A volcano emitting the modest amounts of carbon dioxide that might presage an eruption isn't going to show up in satellite imagery," Robert Bogue, a doctoral student in volcanology at McGill University, Canada, said in the statement. Related: Watch mesmerizing 1,000-foot-tall lava fountains: Kilauea volcano erupting in ways not seen for 40 years But researchers are particularly interested in detecting these emissions because CO2 is one of the very first signs of a coming eruption — preceding even sulfur dioxide, according to the statement. To that end, scientists have been developing methods to monitor carbon dioxide based on the color of trees around volcanoes. Clouds of CO2 wafting from volcanoes that are about to blow boost the health of surrounding trees and plants, making their leaves greener and more lush. "The whole idea is to find something that we could measure instead of carbon dioxide directly," Bogue said in the statement. Until recently, scientists had to trek to volcanoes if they wanted to measure their CO2 levels. By using the color of tree leaves as an indicator of volcanic gas concentrations, researchers can save themselves the trouble of accessing remote and potentially dangerous locations — instead relying on satellites to do the hard work. A 2024 study published in the journal Remote Sensing of Environment revealed a strong correlation between the carbon dioxide and trees around Mount Etna in Italy. Using pictures taken by Landsat 8 and other Earth-observing satellites between 2011 and 2018, the study's authors showed 16 clear spikes in both the amount of CO2 and vegetation's greenness, which coincided with upward migrations of magma from the volcano. "There are plenty of satellites we can use to do this kind of analysis," study lead author Nicole Guinn, a doctoral student in volcanology at the University of Houston in Texas, said in the statement. RELATED STORIES —Mystery of Bolivian 'zombie' volcano finally solved —Alaskan volcano Mount Spurr showing activity that will 'most likely end in an explosive eruption,' scientist says —Never-before-seen chain of volcanoes discovered hiding near the Cook Islands Measuring the greenness of trees from space won't be useful in all volcanic settings, however. Many volcanoes don't host trees – or at least not enough trees to measure with satellites, according to the statement. Some trees and forests may respond unexpectedly to changing carbon dioxide levels — for example, if they have been affected by fires, diseases or abnormal weather conditions. "Tracking the effects of volcanic carbon dioxide on trees will not be a silver bullet," Schwandner said. "But it is something that could change the game." To expand on the potential of the new method, researchers from NASA, the Smithsonian Institution and other organizations recently launched the Airborne Validation Unified Experiment: Land to Ocean (AVUELO), which will compare satellite images of trees around volcanoes with ground observations. The aim is to ensure the data match, so that scientists can calibrate space-borne instruments and take the research forward.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Climate
- Daily Mail
Huge volcano shows signs of imminent eruption after earthquake spike
Officials have detected a surge in earthquake activity at Alaska's Mount Spurr, sparking fears of a potential eruption. The Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO) reported that seismic activity has returned to March levels of about 100 events per week, the same month officials warned the volcano could erupt within weeks. Recent detections of deep earthquakes suggested that magma remains active beneath the volcano. These earthquakes are caused by magma rising toward the surface, putting pressure on the surrounding rock and causing it to crack. While the AVO said that the likelihood of an eruption is gradually declining, it cautioned that 'the volcano remains at an elevated state of unrest.' 'We're not out of the woods yet, by any means,' Matt Haney, a researcher with the AVO, told Alaska Public Media on Wednesday. 'There's still earthquakes happening at Mount Spurr.' Mount Spurr lies about 78 miles from Anchorage, home to nearly 300,000 people who have begun stocking up on food and protective gear, preparing for the possibility of a sudden eruption. Dave Schneider, a US Geological Survey geophysicist in Anchorage, told Your Alaska Link: 'This sort of frustrating phase for probably a lot of people in the community that that it's either ramping up or ramping down. We're just kind of holding steady.' The volcano's summit crater has not erupted for 5,000 years, experts estimate. But its side vent, called Crater Peak, last erupted just 30 years ago. If Mount Spurr blows again, the eruption will most likely be from this side vent, Haney previously told Officials have been monitoring Mount Spurr since April 2024 when seismic activity kicked off. By October, the rate of quakes increased from an average of 30 per week to 125 per week. While the number of earthquakes have dwindled throughout this year, the activity appears to have ramped up in the last month. 'Earthquake activity beneath Mount Spurr remains elevated. Following a steady decline from late March through April, shallow has increased,' the AVO said. Scientists recently measured gas emissions from Mount Spurr and found that while the levels are a little lower than last month, they are still higher than normal. Both carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide are being released from the volcano at rates above background levels, signs that magma remains active beneath the surface. The AVO noted that similar levels were observed back in 2004 to 2006, a period of unrest when Mount Spurr did not erupt. Carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide are natural components of magma, released when molten rock rises toward the surface. The agency added that most magma intrusions, like those observed at Mount Spurr during the 2004 to 2006 unrest, do not lead to eruptions. However, it cautioned that a similar pause in deformation occurred in fall 2024, and magma movement could resume at any time. If the eruption does happen, Mount Spurr would spew multiple plumes of ash rising as high as 50,000 feet into the air, Haney said. Each ash-producing explosive episode would last three to four hours, and the resulting cloud could blanket the city of Anchorage and other nearby communities in a thick layer of dust. The eruption would also produce destructive mudslides and avalanches of volcanic debris racing down the volcano's side at over 200 miles per hour, 'but fortunately, there are not any communities in that radius that would be affected,' Haney said. The AVO said on Wednesday that the eruption would likely be similar to those that occurred in 1953 and 1992 is still possible.' Those past eruptions involved explosive events lasting several hours, generating ash clouds that traveled hundreds of miles and caused minor ashfall, up to about a quarter-inch across southcentral Alaska, according to the agency.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Climate
- Daily Mail
Fears huge volcano is set to ERUPT amid spike in earthquakes... leaving major US city on edge
Officials have detected a surge in earthquake activity at Alaska 's Mount Spurr, sparking renewed fears of a potential eruption. The Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO) reported that seismic activity has returned to March levels of about 100 events per week, the same month officials warned the volcano could erupt within weeks. Recent detections of deep earthquakes suggested that magma remains active beneath the volcano. These earthquakes are caused by magma rising toward the surface, putting pressure on the surrounding rock and causing it to crack. While the likelihood of an eruption is gradually declining, the AVO cautioned that 'the volcano remains at an elevated state of unrest.' 'We're not out of the woods yet, by any means,' Matt Haney, a researcher with the Alaska Volcano Observatory, told Alaska Public Media on Wednesday. 'There's still earthquakes happening at Mount Spurr.' Mount Spurr lies about 78 miles from Anchorage, home to nearly 300,000 people who have begun stocking up on food and protective gear, preparing for the possibility of a sudden eruption. Dave Schneider, a US Geological Survey geophysicist in Anchorage, told Your Alaska Link: 'This sort of frustrating phase for probably a lot of people in the community that that it's either ramping up or ramping down. We're just kind of holding steady.' The volcano's summit crater hasn't erupted for 5,000 years, experts estimate. But its side vent, called Crater Peak, last erupted just 30 years ago. If Mount Spurr blows again, the eruption will most likely be from this side vent, Haney previously told Officials have been monitoring Mount Spurr since April 2024 when seismic activity kicked off. By October, the rate of quakes increased from an average of 30 per week to 125 per week. While the number of earthquakes have dwindled through this year, the activity appears to have ramped up in the last month. 'Earthquake activity beneath Mount Spurr remains elevated. Following a steady decline from late March through April, shallow has increased,' the AVO said. Scientists recently measured gas emissions from Mount Spurr and found that while the levels are a little lower than last month, they are still higher than normal. Both carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide are being released from the volcano at rates above background levels, signs that magma remains active beneath the surface. Mount Spurr lies about 78 miles from Anchorage, home to nearly 300,000 people who have begun stocking up on food and protective gear, preparing for the possibility of a sudden eruption The AVO noted that similar levels were observed back in 2004 to 2006, a period of unrest when Mount Spurr did not erupt. Carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide are natural components of magma, released when molten rock rises toward the surface. However, the AVO has recently detected a pause in ground deformation, suggesting that the shallow magma intrusion has temporarily stalled. 'The pause in deformation suggests that the ascent of magma to shallow levels beneath the volcano over the past 17 months has stalled,' the agency shared. 'This intrusion of magma could still lead to an eruption, but gas and earthquake activity do not clearly indicate an unstable or pressurizing system.' The agency added that most magma intrusions, like those observed at Mount Spurr during the 2004 to 2006 unrest, do not lead to eruptions. However, it cautioned that a similar pause in deformation occurred in fall 2024, and magma movement could resume at any time. If the eruption does happen, Mount Spurr would spew multiple plumes of ash rising as high as 50,000 feet into the air, Haney said. Each ash-producing explosive episode would last three to four hours, and the resulting cloud could blanket the city of Anchorage and other nearby communities in a thick layer of dust. The eruption would also produce destructive mudslides and avalanches of volcanic debris racing down the volcano's side at over 200 miles per hour, 'but fortunately, there are not any communities in that radius that would be affected,' Haney said. The AVO said on Wednesday that the eruption would likely be similar to those that occurred in 1953 and 1992 is still possible.' Those past eruptions involved explosive events lasting several hours, generating ash clouds that traveled hundreds of miles and caused minor ashfall, up to about a quarter-inch across southcentral Alaska, according to the agency.
CBC
5 days ago
- Climate
- CBC
Kīlauea: a living volcano and natural lab
Kīlauea volcano on Hawaii's Big Island is erupting again, shooting lava over 300 metres into the air in a rare display of sustained lava fountaining. As Johanna Wagstaffe explains, this kind of eruption isn't just dramatic — it's also a gold mine for scientists.
