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U.S. NEWS Friday 11 May 2018

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Hawaii volcano could spew boulders the size of refrigerators

By SOPHIA YAN and SETH homes — since May 3, rounding region are a part
BORENSTEIN when it began releasing of Hawaii Volcanoes Na-
Associated Press lava from vents about 25 tional Park, which planned
PAHOA, Hawaii (AP) — If miles (40 kilometers) east to close at 10 p.m. Thurs-
Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano of the summit crater. Fif- day.
blows its top in the coming teen of the vents are now Officials don’t expect a
days or weeks, as experts spread through the Leilani possible explosion to be
fear, it could hurl ash and Estates and Lanipuna Gar- deadly as long as people
boulders the size of refrig- dens neighborhoods. stay out of the closed park.
erators miles into the air, Hawaii Gov. David Ige said Communities a mile or two
shutting down airline traffic crews at a geothermal en- (kilometers) away may be
and endangering lives in ergy plant near the lava showered by pea-size frag-
all directions, scientists said outbreak accelerated the ments or dusted with non-
Thursday. removal of stored flamma- toxic ash, said Tina Neal,
“If it goes up, it will come ble fuel as a precaution. scientist-in-charge at the
down,” said Charles The Puna Geothermal Ven- Hawaii Volcano Observa-
Mandeville, volcano haz- ture plant has about 50,000 tory. What could happen is
ards coordinator for the gallons (189,270 liters) of not an eruption of volcanic
U.S. Geological Survey. pentane. It was removed gases but mostly trapped
“You don’t want to be un- early Thursday. steam from flash-heated
derneath anything that Barbara Lozano, who groundwater released like
weighs 10 tons when it’s lives within a mile of the in a kitchen pressure cook-
coming out at 120 mph.” plant, said she would have er, with rocks, said volca- This photo provided by the U.S. Geological Survey shows a
Hawaii Volcano Observatory geologist recording a temperature
The volcano, which has thought twice about buy- nologist Janine Krippner of of 103 degrees C (218 degrees F) at a crack along Nohea Street
been spitting and sputter- ing her property if she had Concord University in West in Leilani Estates near the town of Pahoa, Hawaii, Wednesday,
ing lava for a week, has de- known the risks. Virginia.q May 9, 2018.
stroyed more than two doz- “Why did they let us buy Associated Press
en homes and threatened residential property, know-
a geothermal plant. The ing it was a dangerous
added threat of an explo- situation? Why did they let
sive eruption could ground people build all around it?”
planes at one of the Big she asked.
Island’s two major airports About 2,000 people have
and pose other dangers. been evacuated from the
The national park around neighborhoods were lava
the volcano announced has oozed from the ground.
that it would close because Avani Love, 29, moved
of the risks. to the Big Island about
“We know the volcano is a month ago from Maui
capable of doing this,” with her four children. They
Mandeville said, citing simi- evacuated their home
lar explosions at Kilauea in May 3, and only found out
1925, 1790 and four other it was destroyed when a
times in the last few thou- relative went back to get
sand years. “We know it is a her personal belongings.
distinct possibility.” While saying she’s sad to
He would not estimate have lost her home, she
the likelihood of such an also feels a sense of renew-
explosion, but said the in- al brought on by Pele, the
ternal volcanic conditions Hawaiian volcano god-
are changing in a way dess, to correct overpopu-
that could lead to a blast lation of the island.
in about a week. The vol- “Everyone comes here,”
cano’s internal plumbing she said. “When you have
could still prevent an explo- that, it’s Pele’s way of clear-
sion. ing house and restoring the
If it happens, a summit blast place. There’s beauty and
could also release steam also darkness.”
and sulfur dioxide gas. No one lives in the imme-
Kilauea has destroyed 36 diate area of the summit
structures — including 26 crater. The crater and sur-