Watch: Awesome timelapse footage shows Hawaii lava flow devouring car
The incredible power of the eruption of the Kilauea volcano is laid bare.
Incredible timelapse footage shows the awesome power of the lava flowing from the Kilauea volcano in Hawaii.
The volcano’s increased activity began on May 4 and has since been spewing out molten rock, in a steady flow which is here seen devouring trees and a car.
More than 1,700 Hawaii residents have had to flee their homes in the wake of the volcanic activity, which has destroyed dozens of homes in the Lailani Estates subdivision.
While scientists report lava spewing more than 200ft (61m) into the air from Kilauea, deep cracks in the ground caused by the volcano have been bursting with molten rock, toxic gas and steam.
Lava has spread more than 387,500 square feet (36,000 sq m) from the most active fissure, with its movement slow but relentless – and geological experts unsure when the lava will stop.
“There’s more magma in the system to be erupted,” said US Geological Survey volcanologist Wendy Stovall. “As long as that supply is there, the eruption will continue.”
The volcano also triggered a magnitude 6.9 earthquake on Friday, Hawaii’s largest in 40 years.
Kilauea is one of the world’s most active volcanoes, and has been erupting continuously since 1983.
The USGS’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory issued a notice in mid-April that there were signs of pressure building in underground magma, and a new vent could form on the cone or along what is known as the East Rift Zone – along which Leilani Estates sits.
