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Volcanoes
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September 2018

S pe
ci a l
E di t
ion

A river of lava flows from Kilauea Volcano

on the Big Island of Hawaii.

Written by Nicole Davis

What’s Hawaii Hot Spot  olcano of Fire Erupts

V  ellowstone Geyser
Y
Inside: Turns Up the Heat in Guatemala Picks Up Steam

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SCIENCE in the NEWS September 2018

Hawaii Hot Spot

urns Up the Heat
Since early May, Kilauea (kil-uh-WAY-uh)
Earth Science Kilauea Volcano
Volcano has been wreaking havoc in
Hawaii. Lava has destroyed roads, power lines, and more than
six hundred homes on the Big Island. Over two thousand
people have evacuated the area. The eruption has slowed
down, but scientists say it may not be over. Big Island
Lava Lets Loose
In April, geologists at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory
warned that pressure was building on the east side of Kilauea. former coastline
On May 3, earthquakes opened deep cracks in the ground,
called fissures. Fountains of lava up to 80 meters (260 ft.)
high shot out of the fissures. Rivers of lava flowed into
neighborhoods, burying cars and destroying homes. Two
weeks later, explosive eruptions began at the summit of
Kilauea. The explosions have changed the shape of the
summit. With them came clouds of volcanic smog, or vog.
These toxic plumes contain ash and sulfur dioxide gas.
new land
Big Island Gets Bigger
On June 2, lava filled Hawaii’s largest freshwater lake in just
five hours, boiling away all the water. This lava destroyed 0 1 mile
hundreds more homes and filled a scenic bay on its way to new fissures
the ocean. There, it began building new land! As lava cools, 0 1 kilometer
it turns to rock. This new volcanic rock extends 1.6 kilometers
(1 mi.) beyond the former coastline (see map). The red areas on this map show where lava
has flowed from Kilauea since May 3.
When lava reacts with seawater, laze (lava haze) forms in
the air (see photo). Laze is made up of steam, hydrochloric
acid, and tiny pieces of volcanic glass. Laze and vog are THE HAWAII HOT SPOT
oldest Big Island
dangerous to breathe. People must stay inside when wind islands (youngest)
carries these toxic clouds into populated areas. People
should stay away from the lava, too. It is extremely hot.
Hot Spot
Kilauea is one of five volcanoes that make up Hawaii’s Big
Island. It sits above an area of high volcanic activity known movement of plate
as a hot spot. Earth’s surface moves slowly, but the hot spot
below it stays in one place, forming a chain of volcanoes
(see diagram). Kilauea is one of the youngest volcanoes in hot spot
the chain. With all that heat underneath, it is among the
most active volcanoes in the world. It is unlikely that Each Hawaiian Island formed from lava as the
Kilauea will cool off anytime soon. v Pacific Plate moved over the hot spot.

Credits: Front cover: courtesy of U.S. Geological Survey; page 2 (main): modified from U.S. Geological Survey; page 2 (background): courtesy of Nicole Davis

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SCIENCE in the NEWS September 2018

Volcano of Fire
Erupts in Guatemala
A terrible volcanic eruption occurred
Earth Science
in Guatemala on June 3. More than
one hundred people were killed. Many more are still missing.
The Volcano of Fire (Volcán de Fuego in Spanish) began
erupting around noon local time. Ash, toxic gas, and lava
exploded into the air. As the material fell to the ground, it
formed pyroclastic (py-roh-KLAS-tik) flows. These avalanches
of scalding-hot ash, gas, and rock moved almost instantly
down the mountain. The debris mixed with water, forming
volcanic mudflows called lahars. Both pyroclastic flows and
lahars destroy everything in their path—fast. They buried
entire villages in a matter of minutes.
Rescue workers struggled to reach the villages. More than
twelve thousand people were evacuated. Some have returned
home, but the danger is not over. Heavy rainstorms continue
to cause new lahars. Another large eruption could happen at
any time. Thousands have already lost their homes and loved
Deadly pyroclastic flows and lahars buried
ones. When the volcano settles down, they will begin a long
villages on the slopes of Volcán de Fuego.
and difficult recovery. v

Comparing Kilauea and Volcán de Fuego

No one has been killed Volcano type
Name Magma Main hazards Other hazards
during the eruption in and shape
Hawaii. But the eruption shield volcano;
Kilauea thin magma; slow, runny some explosive
in Guatemala has been wide dome with
Volcano fewer explosive lava flows; eruptions;
gently sloping
deadly. What makes (Hawaii) gases vog; laze earthquakes
sides
these two volcanoes
so different? Volcán de stratovolcano; thick magma; fast pyroclastic explosive eruptions;
Fuego pointed peak with more explosive flows; lahars; gas and ash plumes;
(Guatemala) steep sides gases earthquakes thick lava flows

Hawaii
KILAUEA VOLCANO VOLC N DE
FUEGO
Guatemala
ash cloud
ash cloud
pyroclastic flow

laze summit
summit active fissure lava flow

magma Pacific Ocean magma

Credits: Main: © Guatemalan National Civil Police/AP Images; inset: © JOHAN ORDONEZ/AFP/Getty Images

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SCIENCE in the NEWS September 2018

e l l o w s t o n e
Y
Earth ScienceThe world’s
tallest active
geyser (GY-zur) is on an eruption spree.

Picks
Steamboat Geyser in Yellowstone

s e r
National Park has erupted fifteen times

G e y
since March. After three and a half years
of quiet, it has been erupting about

a m
every twelve days. When it does, hot

S t e
water shoots as high as 116 meters

Up
(380 ft.) into the air. Then it spews hot
steam, sometimes for days.
Steamboat gets its heat from a massive
volcano called the Yellowstone Caldera.
However, increased geyser eruptions
are not a sign that this volcano is
becoming more active. In fact, geologists
say geysers would likely dry up if the
volcano itself were about to erupt.
This isn’t Steamboat’s first series of
eruptions. It went off twenty-three
times in 1982 and twenty-nine times
in 1964. But it has also gone fifty years
without an eruption. Scientists from
the University of Utah want to know
why the geyser becomes active when
it does. They are monitoring recent
events closely. Their data may show
a pattern that could help predict
Steamboat Geyser in the “steam phase” future eruptions. v
of an eruption in March
ic e
ns

CALDERAS OF THE YELLOWSTONE HOT SPOT

ed a k

Show What You Know

tio
Pr M

Idaho Montana
You read about the Hawaii hot spot on page 2. A Yellowstone Caldera (2 MYO)
different hot spot under Yellowstone National Park
has also formed a string of volcanoes. This map shows Heise Caldera (6.5 MYO)
the locations and approximate ages of the calderas
(volcanic craters) formed by the Yellowstone hot spot. Picabo Caldera (10 MYO)
Study the map and perform these tasks:
1. W
 hich caldera formed first, and which formed most Twin Falls Caldera (10 MYO)
recently? Label them “oldest” and “youngest.” Wyoming
2. Predict where future volcanoes might form. Draw
three new calderas on the map. Make up a name Bruneau-Jarbidge Caldera (12.5 MYO)
for each one.
3. Based on the ages of the other calderas, how Owyhee-Humboldt Caldera (13.5 MYO)
many millions of years in the future might each
McDermitt Caldera (16 MYO) MYO = million years old
new caldera form? Label the new calderas with
your predictions. MYO = hot spot
Source: Branney et al. 2008, Bulletin of Volcanology 70: 293-314, Fig. 1.

Credit: courtesy of U.S. Geological every 1-4.5 million years. The next three calderas might form 0–2.5, 1–7, and 2–11.5 million years in the future. Two calderas could also form at the same time!
Survey/NPS/Behnaz Hosseini Answers: 1. oldest: McDermitt Caldera, youngest: Yellowstone Caldera; 2. northeast of the Yellowstone Caldera, names will vary; 3. In the past, calderas formed

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