Water discovered for first time in recorded history inside Halemaumau Crater
S. CONWAY/U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY VIA AP / AUG. 1
A small pond of green water is seen at the lowest point of Halemaumau Crater in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park in Hawaii. The discovery is the first time water has been observed in the Big Island crater in recorded history. When lava interacts with water it can cause explosive eruptions, but scientists say it’s too soon to know if the pond will cause a violent reaction.
ASSOCIATED PRESS / APRIL 25
The collapsed caldera floor and Halemaumau crater are shown in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island. A small pond of water has been discovered inside the summit crater of Hawaii for the first time in recorded history, possibly signaling a shift to a more explosive phase of future eruptions. The United States Geological Survey says that after a week of questions about a green patch inside Halemaumau Crater, researchers were able to confirm the presence of water on Thursday, Aug. 1.
A small pond of water has been discovered inside the summit crater of Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano for the first time in recorded history, possibly signaling a shift to a more explosive phase of future eruptions.
The U.S. Geological Survey says that after a week of questions about a green patch inside Kilauea’s Halemaumau crater, researchers were able to confirm the presence of water on Thursday.
USGS scientist Don Swanson says the pond has grown in size over the past week.
Swanson says the bottom of the crater, which once housed Kilauea’s famed lava lake, is now below the water table and researchers believe the pond is coming from that groundwater.
Lava interacting with the water table can cause explosive eruptions.
