NASA to Study Kilauea Volcano for Understanding Volcanic Processes And Hazards

Kilauea Volcano, one of the world’s most active volcanos holds clues to the mysterious volcanic processes and origins and to understand these factors in a better manner, a team of scientists from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) are going to explore the site.

Kilauea is one of the world’s most dynamic and dangerous volcanoes. It is a screen-type volcano that structures the of Big Island’s southeastern side of Hawaii. To the casual spectators, Kilauea appears to be a small division of the larger volcano Mauna Loa. But according to the geological data, Kilauea is an isolated volcano, having its own ventilation and conduit structure. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, Kilauea has recorded a total of 61 eruptions in the present cycle and since 1983, it has kept on erupting on an uninterrupted basis.

Kilauea’s recurrent energetic nature has kept on drawing a number of scientists. Moreover, researchers and tourists from all over the globe come to the site for studying and witnessing the jaw-dropping phenomenon of nature. And this month, a team of scientists from NASA will begin to explore Kilauea and its nearby volcano ‘Mauna Loa.’ The exploration mission will be conducted from the all three medians of nature – air, ground, and space and the primary goal of the mission is to understand the volcanic movements, origins, and hazards better.

In late January, a team of NASA-led scientists, from the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO), Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, and a number of universities joined force for a six-week volcano exploration mission. This six-week project involves the field campaign of the Kilauea and its adjoining volcano ‘Mauna Loa’ for understanding the connection between the thermal emissions or volcanic gasses and the wellness and extent of vegetation. The project also involves the exploration of the process of magma flow from the volcanic sites; volcanic anomalies; gas columns; processes of active volcanoes, as well as the methods to mitigate risks and hazards associated with volcanoes.