Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano could be gearing up for an eruption after a pond of water was discovered inside its summit crater for the first time in recorded history, according to the AP.
Last year, the volcano spewed lava and destroyed homes on the archipelago’s Big Island. Then in the spring, a lava lake vanished from sight within the Halema’uma’u summit crater. Now, the lave is being replaced by a growing body of water that is likely rising from below, as the New York Timesreported.
The U.S. Geological Survey reported that the pond was growing in a blog post. “We can now confirm the presence of water at the bottom of Halema’uma’u. [USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory] observers on the helicopter overflight saw reflections from the green pond — the ‘smoking gun’ for water,” the blog post said.
