00:00Scientists are discovering what causes Kilauea to sometimes blast lava more than 1,500 feet into the air with one
00:07eruption and then produce another that's far less impressive.
00:10And the chemistry of the magma seems to correlate to eruption height.
00:15USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory says during recent eruption episodes, taller lava fountains have lined up with higher levels of magnesium
00:24oxide, or MGO.
00:26That's a sign of hotter, fresher magma entering the system.
00:30The current eruption started in December of 2024, and about once every 11 days on average, lava bursts out.
00:37With blast episode 44, fountain heights abruptly dropped, magnesium oxide dropped too, and scientists found olivine crystals showing the magma
00:46had more time to cool and change underground.
00:49Since then, both magnesium oxide and fountain heights have started climbing again.
00:53USGS scientists say tracking these chemical changes could eventually help identify when Kilauea is entering a new period of growing
01:00or declining lava fountains.
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