Kilauea Is World’s Hottest Volcano
The ranking is in terms of total energy. An Icelandic vocanic eruption radiated the most heat for a single event.
The Austin, Texas-based EarthSky says that Kilauea is the world’s hottest volcano in terms of total energy.
Meanwhile, Iceland’s Holuhraun eruption radiated the most heat for a single event.
The news is based on an analysis of satellite observations of 95 of Earth’s most active volcanoes to learn which volcanos have been the hottest since the turn of the century.
Lava flows into the ocean on Hawaii island.
PF Bentley/Civil Beat
“The answer depends on how you define hottest, but, in terms of total energy radiated, the top spot goes to Kilauea on the Big Island of Hawaii,”says EarthSky. “Kilauea has been in eruption for more than 30 years and spilled lava continuously throughout the study period of 2000-2014.”
Kilauea, of course, has made headlines since late June, when a lava flow began threatening Pahoa in the Big Island’s Puna district.
As of Friday, according to the Hawaii Tribune-Herald, the flow was stalled about 0.6 miles from Highway 130, but breakouts are occurring and causing brush fires.
UPDATE: The UH Hawaii Institute of Geophysics and Planetology pointed out to me after this blog was posted that the “hot lava” news above is based on the work of University of Hawaii volcanologist Rob Wright. Cool, no?
