The beautiful islands of Hawaii attract thousands of tourists every year. Aside from the pristine beaches, sumptuous cuisine, and friendly locals, this state is also known for the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. People flock this place all because of the nature of the volcanic eruptions that occur within the park.
Experts say that when Hawaiian volcanoes erupt, the lava from the vent flows very gently. This low-level eruption was therefore named the Hawaiian eruption. Since this is considered to be the safest kind of eruption, experts believe that it is tourist-friendly, and the national park went on to have a record number of visitors every year. However, the eruptions that started earlier this year in May have not ceased, and the destruction being caused in its wake is unimaginable. Here is all that you should know related to the recent volcanic eruptions.
The Beginning
Residents in Kalapana, Hawaii witnessed the beginnings of Kilauea volcano’s eruptions back in 1983. Throughout the 80s and 90s, big explosions from the active volcano rocked the area, and the lava flows destroyed Royal Gardens subdivision and several small towns nearby. On April 30, 2018, the lava lake level dropped dangerously. For the next two days, the people experienced hundreds of earthquakes which forced them to evacuate their homes. The US Geological Survey reported that the flow of magma below ground level is causing all the cracks and fissures around the area.
On May 3, after a similar earthquake, evacuation efforts were doubled as lava started flowing from the cracks formed at the Leilani Estates. Apart from huge cracks on the ground, the heat from the lava was melting electric wires, and the toxic sulfur dioxide gas polluted the air badly. Another big earthquake with a magnitude of 6.9 hit the place the next day, May 4. What followed was a catastrophe. Twenty-six houses were destroyed, 1700 people had to leave their houses, and 300-foot lava fountains erupted across the area. Aside from that, many people were already suffering from the toxic effects of the gas. Things turned out for the worst when, in the next few weeks, a number of fissures opened up across the area, and normal life was completely jeopardized. Roads were closed as they were highly damaged.
Damage From Lava Flow
Though the number of new fissures decreased in the next few days, the lava flow from Leilani Estates became more intense, reaching Kapoho and Vacationland Hawaii and destroying innumerable houses. As of July 9, the number of houses destroyed stood at 700. The lava flow also destroyed Green Lake, a 400-year-old freshwater lake which used to be considered as the largest one in Hawaii. The entire town was destroyed, and finally, the lava flowed into Kapoho Bay, building a lava delta on its way.
The Aftermath
After the eruptions stopped, the state of Hawaii is still in shock. At the end of May, the weather department issued a warning as heavy, freezing rain was expected in the area. This was caused by a huge amount of lava entering the ocean, and evaporating quickly into the atmosphere. People have also been warned about acid rain and its effects, worrying locals even more as the toxins from the acid rain might contaminate their drinking water. But of course, the Department Of Health is doing everything in their power to make sure that drinking water stays contamination-free.
Soon after, residents reported olive-colored gemstones in the rain which, after careful examination, was found to be caused by the volcanic eruption! Apparently, Hawaii is rich in this kind of olivine lava rocks which is the reason why some beaches are green in Hawaii.
Time To Get Back To Routine Life
It is not going to be easy though. Two months of natural destruction has left the locals homeless, and exposed to various kinds of harmful conditions. The fear has not completely left the minds of the people here. They keep getting alerts and warnings from the local county as they are still susceptible to be harmed by the aftermath. It is still unknown whether the island will get significantly bigger like the aftermath of the 1960 lava flow which gave the island two square kilometers of new land. The total estimate of the loss of property is not known yet.
When Mother Nature unleashes her wrath, there’s no escaping it. Thankfully, no one was seriously injured except for a few during the volcanic eruptions in Hawaii.