Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano could soon send boulders and ash shooting out of its summit crater, scientists have warned.
That kind of explosive eruption – last displayed by the volcano nearly a century ago – could occur even as Kilauea continues to splatter and ooze lava out of its eastern flank into a residential area.
Scientists said the risks of an explosive summit eruption will rise in the coming weeks as magma drains down the flank of the volcano.
Hawaii governor David Ige said a geothermal energy plant near the lava outbreak would remove its storage of a flammable gas called pentane by the end of Thursday.
He said it would be “very hazardous” if a volcanic vent were to open under the facility where the fuel is stored.
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