Slow-Motion Disaster

You probably heard on the news about the problem the Big Island of Hawaii is experiencing. Lava from Kilauea volcano is slowing moving and it’s moving towards the village of Pahoa. Residents are worried because there is a possibility of it cutting them off from the rest of the island. There are roughly 9,000 people who live in the lower Pahoa area.

The eruption has been going on continuously since January 1983. However, this time, instead of moving towards the ocean it is moving towards the main land. It began to flow on June 27 after several new fissures opened on the northeast flank of a crater on the volcano.

The volcano observatory reports that the lava was moving forward at just under 5 yards per hour. There has been an evacuation advisory for residents in the flow path.

Lava vs Fire

You may ask, what is the difference between lava and fire? Fire and smoke are words often used in connection with volcanic eruptions. However, they are not an accurate description. Lava is formed by a slow heating under great pressure within the earth; when rocks melt in the earth’s crust. The sources of heat can be chemical reactions, radioactive decay, residual heat left from the formation of the planet, to name a few. Some of the melted rock, magma, can rise to the surface and erupts as lava. Fire, smoke, embers, and burning do not apply to eruptions, unless vegetation or buildings were actually ignited by the eruption.

Active Volcanoes Around the World

Yellowstone is definitely a hotspot. The national park is a tourist attraction because of the hot springs and erupting geysers. Underneath Yellowstone’s beauty is an super-volcano that has the potential to wipe out Western United States . Super volcanoes don’t have a cone shaped mountain. They from a caldera. Essentially, all of Yellowstone is a caldera.

Popocat?petl, Mexico

This is a large, glacier covered peak that lies around 35 miles from Mexico City. The volcano has erupted more than 20 times since 1519. It last erupted in 2000.

Mt. Vesuvius, Italy

This volcano was in the blockbuster movie Pompeii. It erupted in 79 AD and buried the cities of Herculaneum and Pompeii. It last erupted in 1944, but it usually has an eruption cycle of just 20 years.

Sakurajima, Japan

Many experts refer to it as the Vesuvius of the east, due to its high level of volcanic activity. Every year, thousands of small explosions come from Sakurajima’s peak. The city has special volcano shelters where people can go to take cover from falling debris.

Mt. Merapi, Indonesia

Mt. Merapi means Mountain of Fire. Mt. Merapi has erupted regularly since 1548. Mt. Merapi’s infamous lava flows usually travel around 3-4 miles from the peak, though some eruptions cause lava to flow as far as 8 miles. In 2010, an eruption killed 353 people and left 320,000 local residents homeless.

Alert Disaster Restoration does mold remediation, fire and smoke restoration, water damage restoration and remodeling. Give us a call at: 1 (877) 435-8117