Sign up for our daily briefing
Make your busy days simpler with Axios AM/PM. Catch up on what's new and why it matters in just 5 minutes.
Catch up on the day's biggest business stories
Subscribe to Axios Closer for insights into the day’s business news and trends and why they matter
Stay on top of the latest market trends
Subscribe to Axios Markets for the latest market trends and economic insights. Sign up for free.
Sports news worthy of your time
Binge on the stats and stories that drive the sports world with Axios Sports. Sign up for free.
Tech news worthy of your time
Get our smart take on technology from the Valley and D.C. with Axios Login. Sign up for free.
Get the inside stories
Get an insider's guide to the new White House with Axios Sneak Peek. Sign up for free.
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Want a daily digest of the top Denver news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Denver
Want a daily digest of the top Des Moines news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Des Moines
Want a daily digest of the top Twin Cities news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Twin Cities
Want a daily digest of the top Tampa Bay news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Tampa Bay
Want a daily digest of the top Charlotte news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Charlotte
Sign up for Axios NW Arkansas
Stay up-to-date on the most important and interesting stories affecting NW Arkansas, authored by local reporters
A plume rising from a crater caused by Kilauea. Photo: Mario Tama/Getty Images
Hawaii's Kilauea volcano continues to erupt, prompting mass evacuations in the southeastern part of the Big Island.
Threat level: The situation is highly dynamic, as lava continues to flow to the surface and the lava lake in the center of the crater sinks, which could lead to bigger problems. According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the mountain could have an "explosive" eruption as a result of the current draining of the lava lake in the crater.
How it works: If the magma reaches the water table and is then covered by falling rocks, it could lead to an explosive steam explosion. This could hurl huge boulders into the air, and vault ash high into the atmosphere. (It would not be as destructive or violent an eruption as a volcano like Mount St. Helens, however.)
The numbers on Kilauea:
- 35 years of eruptions: Kilauea has been erupting since 1983, though the recent uptick in activity began on May 3.
- This one had a 6.9 magnitude earthquake: The current eruption was accompanied by an earthquake on May 4. This was the strongest quake to strike Hawaii since 1975.
- About 2,000 residents have been forced to evacuate over the last week since lava began flowing out of new fissures in the ground.
- The eruption caused 24 hours of sustained earthquakes throughout the island, as magma flowed toward the surface.
- Lava has destroyed 36 structures including 26 homes in the area since May 3.
- 15 volcanic vents: The Leilani Estates and Lanipuna Gardens neighborhoods are under threat from lava oozing to the surface from more than a dozen ruptures in the ground. There are 770 homes in Leilani Estates, per AP.
- Unknown date and time: The USGS says that an explosive steam eruption could happen with little to no warning, and would expand the danger zone beyond just the lava fissures.
Go deeper: How the volcanic eruption in Hawaii could get worse