On July 16, a tour boat carrying curious tourists ventured too close to the volcano, resulting in 23 injuries when a lava bomb plummeted through its canopy.
The USGS thinks this may have been caused by an underwater explosion, or ‘hydroexplosion’ a result of the heating of seawater by molten lava.
These types of eruptions are not well documented, so it’s hard to tell exactly what is going on beneath the waves.
However the USGS reports that the July 16 eruption suggests lava tubes lying beneath the water at the ocean entry.
Tour boats now have to stay well clear of the area, as the USGS adds that “more explosions are possible.”
Excitingly for scientists, this activity might help us gain a better understanding of how volcanoes work.
The USGS said in its report of the event: “Kīlauea’s explosions are the best observed of any hydrovolcanic explosions—and they offer the best insight into how they form.”
The boat which saw the lava bomb strike had been trying to witness another phenomenon of the volcano: lava haze, or ‘laze’.
Laze is the resulting plume of the lava hitting the ocean, and is quite a dramatic sight.
Laze can, however, be dangerous, as its mix of hydrochloric acid fumes, steam and tiny specks of volcanic glass make a toxic combination.
Hawaii’s Kilauea has presented a whole host of hazards to residents since it turned explosive on May 3.
Of the 25 fissures which have opened since, Fissure 8 is the most active and has now formed a continuous channel snaking its way across Big Island and pooling in a ‘flow field’ at the Kapoho Bay area.
The overflow is pouring into the Pacific, building up the coastline and redesigning the island’s map.
The volcanic fissures also continue to emit sulphur dioxide, which forms a ‘degassing’ phenomenon known as ‘vog’ – volcanic smog.
The USGS defines vog as “a hazy mixture of sulphur dioxide gas and sulphate particles.”
There have been no reported fatalities, but some 700 homes have been destroyed and thousands have been evacuated.
The summit crater also continues to collapse on a near-daily basis, causing events that feel like large earthquakes to rock the island.
The result of the collapsing events is resulting in more lava being pushed into Fissure 8 and more homes being threatened.
Scientists are unable to predict when this will end.
The last event at Kilauea which exhibited similar behaviour lasted 60 years.