"The fountains are generated in part because magma which holds gasses that are released as it rises has been traveling to the surface through narrow, pipe-like vents. The expanding magma supply is capped by heavier magma that had expelled its gas at the end of the prior episode. Eventually enough new magma accumulates to force the degassed magma off, and the magma shoots out like liquid out of a champagne bottle that was shaken before the cork was popped."
"A lower magma chamber under Halemaumau crater is receiving magma directly from the earth's interior about 5 cubic yards (3.8 cubic meters) per second, said Ken Hon, the scientist-in-charge at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. This blows the chamber up like a balloon and forces magma into an upper chamber. From there, it gets pushed above ground through cracks. Magma has been using the same pathway to rise to the surface since December,"
Kilauea resumed erupting, producing lava fountains up to 330 ft from the Halemaumau summit crater on Hawaii Island. The event was the 32nd episode since December 2024, and all lava remains contained within the summit crater inside Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Lava emerged from the north vent after midnight and later from the crater's south vent and a third vent. A lower magma chamber is receiving roughly 5 cubic yards (3.8 cubic meters) per second of magma, inflating and forcing magma into an upper chamber that is pushed to the surface through persistent cracks. Gas-rich magma rising through narrow, pipe-like vents produces high fountains, sometimes exceeding 1,000 ft.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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