Kīlauea's summit swelling linked to lava fountain patterns
Researchers observed that swelling at Kīlauea's summit may help predict episodic lava fountains. These bursts occur in cycles with long pauses between episodes.
The finding suggests a potential method for forecasting volcanic activity, though more data is needed to confirm the link.
- study
- Episodic lava fountaining
Taken from the source as published — check the details before acting on them.
volcanic behavior observed
Episodic lava fountains involve repeated bursts of molten lava and gas, with pauses lasting days to weeks.
method of study
Scientists monitored changes in the volcano's summit and correlated them with patterns in lava fountain activity.
Common questions
What is episodic lava fountaining?
It is a volcanic behavior where lava and gas are spewed in repeated bursts, followed by long periods of inactivity.
How might this help scientists?
It may provide a way to forecast eruptions by tracking changes in the volcano's summit before fountains occur.
Sources
- Kīlauea's swelling summit helps scientists forecast lava fountain eruptions Phys.org · phys.org
Headlines and links belong to the publishers listed above. The summary above is written by The Science Brief; see how this works.
