Rainfall an unlikely trigger of Kīlauea’s 2018 rift eruption
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Abstract
If volcanic eruptions could be forecast from the occurrence of some external process, it might be possible to better mitigate risk and protect lives and livelihoods. Farquharson and Amelung1 suggested that the 2018 lower East Rift Zone (ERZ) eruption of Kīlauea Volcano—the most destructive eruption in Hawai‘i in at least 200 years2—was triggered by extreme precipitation, which caused increased pore pressure that resulted in mechanical weakening of the volcano. Here we argue that Kīlauea’s 2018 eruption was instead caused by significant pre-eruptive pressurization, that pre-eruptive rainfall was not extreme, and that there is no significant correlation between rain and eruptions at Kīlauea. Understanding the causal mechanisms of volcanic eruptions is vital for hazard assessment and mitigation, and misattribution may compromise monitoring, preparedness, communication and response efforts.
Study Area
| Publication type | Article |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
| Title | Rainfall an unlikely trigger of Kilauea’s 2018 rift eruption |
| Series title | Nature |
| DOI | 10.1038/s41586-021-04163-1 |
| Volume | 602 |
| Issue | 7895 |
| Year Published | 2022 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Springer |
| Contributing office(s) | Volcano Science Center |
| Description | 4 p. |
| First page | E7 |
| Last page | E10 |
| Country | United States |
| State | Hawaii |
| Other Geospatial | Kilauea Volcano |
| Google Analytic Metrics | Metrics page |