It was in 2018 when the Kilauea volcano in Hawaii ran havoc on the island, covering a large part (35 square kilometers) of the area. It also ended up engulfing over 700 buildings in the process.
Scientists have benefited from the Eruptions
From the catastrophic event, the researchers were able to gather very useful data that would help them understand lava and volcanic flows.
This particular event has been the widest-studied eruption in the history of Hawaii. With the help of the data the researchers have collected, the researchers would be able to calculate how deep the flowing lava is. The researchers have based their research on the red-hot rock’s peculiar waves.
With the help of the data collected, the researchers would be able to make future forecasts about the flows of lava. This way, it would be easily estimated how far the lava would travel in case another major eruption takes place.
This way, the authorities would have an idea of how dangerous the eruption would be and what could be its impact. They would also be able to warn the locals about the eruption and tell them in advance to get out of harm’s way.
Statement by Simone Tarquini
The National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology in Italy’s volcanologist Simone Tarquini made a statement about the significance of the new research.
Although Tarquini was not involved in the study or the research, he was the first to praise the efforts made by the involved researchers.
He stated that the findings of the researchers are quite good and it has offered a new tool to the volcanologists they can refer to and benefit from it.
The volcanologists can add the tool to their standard toolbox, which would prove very useful and handy for them going forward.
Nature of Volcanoes
The nature of volcanoes can prove to be very diverse. Some volcanoes explode very violently and all the debris and pressure is released into the air.
Then come volcanoes such as Kilauea and other volcanoes found in Hawaii which tend to erupt causing the lava to gush out in the form of slides.
Up until now, the emergency managers did not know which direction and how far the lava would travel. However, with the help of the new technique, the users will be able to establish the direction and flow of lava.
A prominent geophysicist, Hannah Dietterich, revealed that it is due to the volume of lava, its chemistry, and the shape of the terrain that set up a path of destruction.
Impossible to Measure Lava Depth
Hannah Dietterich revealed that it is not possible for the researchers to establish the depth of lava. It is impossible to put a measuring stick into the fast-flowing lava.
This is the reason why they resorted to traditional Hawaiian methods to measure the flow and direction of lava. They are now catching the waves of lava and analyzing them to find the flow, depth, and distance to be traveled by lava.