USGS Details Kilauea Lava Fountains as Scientists Probe What Drives Them
A USGS study in Science describes an unusually detailed record of lava fountaining at Kilauea and compares it with ideas about what drives molten rock hundreds of meters skyward.
In most cases, hotspot-driven volcanism is relatively sedate. Lava moves down mountainsides slowly enough that people can walk out of its way. But in a number of locations, including Mount Etna, Hawaii, and Iceland, lava is expelled in dramatic fountains that can reach several hundred meters in height. Despite the striking videos regularly produced by the three active volcanic regions where fountaining occurs, scientists do not yet know what powers these fountains.
Kilauea offers a rare opportunity to examine the process. Although it is the youngest and most active volcano in Hawaii, Kilauea has had only three fountaining episodes since 1823. That activity has led to intensive study, and researchers have a good understanding of the volcano's structure.
Previous work has identified a couple of lava residues within a few kilometers of the surface, according to the account. The volcano also had 35 separate data-gathering stations set up on Kilauea, including seismic, infrasound, geodetic, gas, and visual and thermal cameras. The recent eruptions allowed the USGS researchers to document lava fountaining in detail and compare what was observed with what might be expected based on the best current ideas about what powers fountains of molten rock.
Ars Technica reports that the Kilauea observations are among the best documentation yet of erupting lava fountains. The research does not settle the question of what drives them, but it provides a test of existing expectations against a well-instrumented volcanic system.