#037 How to Predict a Volcanic Eruption?

The University of Liverpool Podcast

Scientists are getting quite good at predicting where and when lava will erupt around the Kilauea volcano, and that is a good thing for the residents of the island of Hawaii. Kilauea has been very active for the past several months. Indeed, in just the past 7 days, residents in the area around Kilauea have experienced more than 900 earthquakes. For the most part, these have been very minor tremors, often only showing up on seismographs.

The quakes are caused by magma deep inside the volcano moving underground, infiltrating cracks and fissures and occasionally shooting lava into the air in dramatic fashion. All of this is being very closely watched by Dr. Janine Kavanagh. She is a lecturer in Earth, Ocean and Ecological Sciences at the University of Liverpool.