Record rain triggered 2018 Kīlauea volcano eruptions, says study

[struggle4progress]

Research on events in Hawaii suggests climate crisis could increase eruptions around world

Damian Carrington Environment editor
Published on Wed 22 Apr 2020 11.00 EDT


The spectacular eruptions of the Kīlauea volcano in Hawaii in 2018 were triggered by extreme rainfall in the preceding months, research suggests.

Scientists say the finding raises the possibility that climate breakdown, which is causing more extreme weather, could lead to an increase in eruptions around the world.

The 2018 Kīlauea eruptions were one of the most extraordinary sequences in at least 200 years, according to the scientists, with rifts opening, summit explosions and collapses, and a magnitude 6.9 earthquake. But the trigger was not known.

However, several months of unusually high rainfall preceded the eruption, with one 24-hour period setting a record for the entire US. This flood of water would have percolated down into fissures and pores in the rocks of the volcano, as far as 1.8 miles (2.9km) below the surface ...

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/22/record-rain-triggered-2018-kilauea-volcano-eruptions-hawaii-study

[SunSeeker]

1. I remember when those historic rains hit the islands, devastating Kauai.

Then came the deadly Kilauea eruptions. Quite the one-two punch.