Beauty and Disaster

But Hawaii’s volcanoes aren’t just ancient history. Along with Kilauea, three other volcanoes on the Big Island are active. They can erupt at any time. Kilauea is one of the most active volcanoes in the world. Why do people live near it?

To understand, you need to know that there are different kinds of volcanoes. Some are tall, fiery mountains. They can erupt suddenly and powerfully. But Kilauea isn’t this kind of volcano. It’s a shield volcano.

Shield volcanoes look more like humps rising from the ground than tall mountains. They aren’t as likely to erupt with dangerous force. Instead, they ooze, hiss, and rumble. Lava flows out of them in slow, lazy streams.

Kilauea has been gently erupting like this almost nonstop since 1983. Lava has been flowing out of vents, or openings, on the side of the volcano.

 These eruptions haven’t been dangerous. In fact, they have made the volcano famous. Millions of people have traveled to the Big Island to see lava flowing out of the mountain.

 At the same time, neighborhoods grew all around Kilauea. Thousands of people moved in, including Josh and his family. Josh loved the beauty of
the island—the blue sky, the turquoise Pacific, the pink and orange flowers. And Kilauea! A volcano in his backyard!

He wasn’t afraid of it. Kilauea was a favorite spot for family hikes and school trips. And that day when it exploded during recess? “Nobody was scared,” Josh says. “It was exciting. We knew right then it would be a historic event.”

 Josh was right: It was a historic event. It also turned out to be a dangerous one.

Volcanoes are openings in the earth. Hot liquid rock can erupt out of volcanoes. This liquid rock is called magma when it’s underground. It has a different name when it reaches Earth’s surface: lava.

For millions of years, volcanoes erupted at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. Lava rose up to the top of the ocean. When it reached the top, it hardened into rock.

The mounds of rock got bigger and bigger. They formed the islands of Hawaii. Hawaii is beautiful. It has sparkling ocean views and thick forests. And it has volcanoes. Kilauea is one of the most active volcanoes in the world. Why would anyone live near it?

The answer: There are different kinds of volcanoes. Some are tall, fiery mountains. But Kilauea isn’t. Kilauea is a shield volcano. Shield volcanoes look like bumps on the ground. They aren’t usually a danger. Kilauea has been gently oozing lava for years.

Josh wasn’t afraid of Kilauea—even when it exploded. “We knew right then it would be a historic event,” Josh says. But it also turned out to be a scary one

But Hawaii’s volcanic forces are still hard at work. Six volcanoes on the islands of Hawaii are active, which means they can erupt at any moment. Kilauea is the most active in the world.

So why do people live near it?

To understand, you first need to realize that there are different kinds of volcanoes. The most famous—and violent—are known as stratovolcanoes. These are the fiery mountains that blow their tops with explosive fury, releasing super-hot gases and many tons of ash and rock.

Throughout history, stratovolcanoes have unleashed death and destruction onto everything in their paths. There’s Mount Vesuvius, in Italy, which erupted 1,500 years ago. It killed thousands and buried the city of Pompeii under 20 feet of ash and rock. Then there’s Krakatau, in Indonesia, which erupted in 1883 with a crack heard 3,000 miles away. And closer to home, there’s Mount St. Helens in Washington State, which killed 57 people when it erupted in 1980.

Kilauea is not this kind of disaster-movie volcano. It’s what is known as a shield volcano. Shield volcanoes look less like towering mountains and more like humps rising from the ground. Shields aren’t as likely to erupt with sudden violence. Rather, they ooze and hiss and rumble. Lava spurts in lazy fountains. It moves across the land slowly, at grandma-walking speeds.

Kilauea has been oozing and spraying like this almost constantly since 1983. But nobody has been killed. Its fiery sprays made the volcano famous, the Beyoncé of mountains. Millions have traveled to the Big Island just to see it.

At the same time, neighborhoods grew all around Kilauea. Thousands of people moved in, including Josh and his family.

Josh fell in love with the beauty of the island, with the blue sky and turquoise Pacific, with the pink and purple and orange flowers that grow like weeds. And Kilauea! A volcano, right in his backyard!

He wasn’t afraid of it. Kilauea was a favorite spot for family hikes and school trips. Josh felt lucky to be able to hike up to its summit and peer inside—to watch in amazement as blazing lava streams plunged off cliffs and into the ocean.

And that day, when it exploded during recess? “Nobody was scared,” Josh says. “It was exciting. We knew right then it would be a historic event.”

Historic, yes. And very dangerous.

What Josh didn’t know is that shield volcanoes can turn violent. Kilauea had erupted dangerously in the past. And in April 2018, scientists saw signs it could happen again.

Magma was building up under the volcano. Small earthquakes were rumbling under the ground. Scientists knew the volcano would burst open. But they didn’t know where . . . or when.

On May 3, 2018, the volcano finally erupted. That big explosion Josh saw during recess was the first of several. In the days that followed, Josh’s excitement turned to fear.

One side of the volcano cracked open. Lava came pouring out, along with poisonous gas that made the air unsafe to breathe. Josh’s parents gave him a gas mask to wear.

The earthquakes also became stronger and more frequent. “There were thousands of them every week,” Josh says. “I worried my school would collapse.”

The scariest of all was the lava. Cracks in Kilauea opened near neighborhoods. Fountains of lava sprayed 200 feet in the air.

The lava formed rivers that were 6 feet tall and hundreds of feet wide. This red-hot liquid rivers gushed into neighborhoods. They burned everything in their path.

What Josh—and most people living nearby—didn’t realize is that shield volcanoes can turn violent. And Kilauea has a deadly past. In 1790, the volcano exploded without warning, unleashing a churning river of lava and killing as many as 400 people. It erupted violently again in 1924 before mostly quieting down.

Scientists had been warning that Kilauea was likely to turn deadly again. And in April 2018, scientists at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory detected signs that the volcano was changing. Magma was building up under the volcano. Small earthquakes were rumbling under the ground.

Wendy Stovall is one of those scientists. “We knew that the system would bust open,” she says. “But we didn’t know where.”

That big explosion Josh and his friends witnessed was the first of several. And in the days that followed, Josh’s excitement turned to dread. One side of the volcano cracked open, and lava gushed out. Earthquakes—thousands per week—became more frequent and stronger. “I worried my school would collapse,” he says.

Most frightening was the lava. Red-hot rivers of the glowing molten rock poured into neighborhoods, devouring houses and cars. More than 1,000 people fled their homes. By July, about 700 houses had been destroyed.

Josh’s family lived 20 miles from the worst lava flows, so their house was safe. But Josh worried that the roads would become blocked, making it impossible for his family to escape if a more powerful eruption occurred. He was fearful of the toxic gases that were seeping out of the volcano. His parents gave him a gas mask to carry with him to protect his lungs from damage.

What would happen? When would the eruptions stop? Was a catastrophic eruption coming soon?

By August, Kilauea had returned to its quiet, oozing self. The lava hardened and created new land. But it had also destroyed hundreds of buildings and homes. Many people lost everything they owned. Luckily, Josh’s home and family were safe. His school was too.

Today, Kilauea continues to quietly ooze and spray. Josh knows that Kilauea could burst open again in the future. But he doesn’t focus on the danger. He knows that while volcanoes can destroy, they can also create. “None of us would be living in this beautiful place if it weren’t for volcanoes,” Josh says.

Josh didn’t know that shield volcanoes can turn violent. Magma was building up in Kilauea. Small earthquakes were rumbling under the ground.

On May 3, 2018, Kilauea finally erupted. One side of the volcano cracked open. Lava came pouring out.

The earthquakes became stronger. “There were thousands of them every week,” Josh says. Red-hot lava gushed into neighborhoods. It burned everything.

By August, Kilauea was safe again. But many people lost everything they owned. Luckily, Josh’s home and family were safe.

He knows that Kilauea could burst open again. But he doesn’t focus on that. “None of us would be living in this beautiful place if it weren’t for volcanoes,” Josh says.

The entire state of Hawaii remained on high alert throughout most of the summer. But fortunately, by August, Kilauea had calmed down. Today, it is back to its quiet, oozing self.

But those violent weeks shattered lives and left behind a changed land. Hundreds of people were left homeless. Many lost everything they owned. Like the ancient city of Pompeii, entire neighborhoods were buried. Hawaii’s largest lake turned into a steaming pit of lava. Kapoho Bay, a popular swimming spot, is now a river of molten rock.

Josh knows his family was lucky. Their home was spared, and so was Josh’s school.

He knows another eruption is possible. But Josh doesn’t dwell on the danger of living in this fiery land. He understands that volcanoes can destroy. But they can create too.

“Right now, the newest land on Earth is forming,” Josh says. “None of us would be living in this beautiful place if it weren’t for volcanoes.”

- With reporting by Anna Starecheski