Un peligroso fenómeno se presenta en Hawái al llegar lava volcánica al océano
Oscar Coronado
Dos flujos de lava "llegaron al océano en la costa sureste de Puna durante la noche",
Las autoridades en Hawái han advertido de un peligroso fenómeno vinculado con la llegada a las aguas del océano Pacífico de la lava proveniente del volcán Kilauea, que entró en erupción el 3 de mayo.
Dos flujos de lava “llegaron al océano en la costa sureste de Puna durante la noche”, en la Gran Isla de Hawái, dijo el servicio geológico estadounidense (USGS), que monitorea volcanes y sismos en todo el mundo, en un comunicado el domingo.
Una grieta sin embargo se abrió en el suelo bajo uno de los canales de lava “desviando lava… a cavidades subterráneas”, explicó el texto.
PAHOA, HI – MAY 20: A man points as a steam plume rises while lava enters the Pacific Ocean, after flowing to the water from a Kilauea volcano fissure, on Hawaii’s Big Island on May 20, 2018 near Pahoa, Hawaii. Officials are concerned that ‘laze’, a dangerous product produced when hot lava hits cool ocean water, will affect residents. Laze, a word combination of lava and haze, contains hydrochloric acid steam along with volcanic glass particles. Mario Tama/Getty Images/AFP
PAHOA, HI – MAY 21: Steam plumes rise as lava enters the Pacific Ocean, after flowing to the water from a Kilauea volcano fissure, on Hawaii’s Big Island on May 21, 2018 near Pahoa, Hawaii. Officials are concerned that ‘laze’, a dangerous product produced when hot lava hits cool ocean water, will affect residents. Laze, a word combination of lava and haze, contains hydrochloric acid steam along with volcanic glass particles. Mario Tama/Getty Images/AFP
PAHOA, HI – MAY 21: Steam plumes rise as lava enters the Pacific Ocean, after flowing to the water from a Kilauea volcano fissure, on Hawaii’s Big Island on May 21, 2018 near Pahoa, Hawaii. Officials are concerned that ‘laze’, a dangerous product produced when hot lava hits cool ocean water, will affect residents. Laze, a word combination of lava and haze, contains hydrochloric acid steam along with volcanic glass particles. Mario Tama/Getty Images/AFP
PAHOA, HI – MAY 21: Lava erupts and flows from a Kilauea volcano fissure, towards the Pacific Ocean, on Hawaii’s Big Island on May 21, 2018 near Pahoa, Hawaii. Officials are concerned that ‘laze’, a dangerous product produced when hot lava hits cool ocean water, will affect residents. Laze, a word combination of lava and haze, contains hydrochloric acid steam along with volcanic glass particles. Mario Tama/Getty Images/AFP
PAHOA, HI – MAY 21: Lava from a Kilauea volcano fissure flows past downed trees towards the Pacific Ocean, on Hawaii’s Big Island, on May 21, 2018 near Pahoa, Hawaii. Officials are concerned that ‘laze’, a dangerous product produced when hot lava hits cool ocean water, will affect residents. Laze, a word combination of lava and haze, contains hydrochloric acid steam along with volcanic glass particles. Mario Tama/Getty Images/AFP
PAHOA, HI – MAY 21: Lava erupts and flows from a Kilauea volcano fissure, towards the Pacific Ocean, on Hawaii’s Big Island on May 21, 2018 near Pahoa, Hawaii. Officials are concerned that ‘laze’, a dangerous product produced when hot lava hits cool ocean water, will affect residents. Laze, a word combination of lava and haze, contains hydrochloric acid steam along with volcanic glass particles. Mario Tama/Getty Images/AFP
PAHOA, HI – MAY 21: Steam plumes rise as lava enters the Pacific Ocean, after flowing to the water from a Kilauea volcano fissure, on Hawaii’s Big Island on May 21, 2018 near Pahoa, Hawaii. Officials are concerned that ‘laze’, a dangerous product produced when hot lava hits cool ocean water, will affect residents. Laze, a word combination of lava and haze, contains hydrochloric acid steam along with volcanic glass particles. Mario Tama/Getty Images/AFP
PAHOA, HI – MAY 21: Lava from a Kilauea volcano fissure flows toward the Pacific Ocean, on Hawaii’s Big Island, on May 21, 2018 near Pahoa, Hawaii. Officials are concerned that ‘laze’, a dangerous product produced when hot lava hits cool ocean water, will affect residents. Laze, a word combination of lava and haze, contains hydrochloric acid steam along with volcanic glass particles. Mario Tama/Getty Images/AFP
PAHOA, HI – MAY 21: Lava from a Kilauea volcano fissure is viewed through clouds on Hawaii’s Big Island, on May 21, 2018 near Pahoa, Hawaii. Officials are concerned that ‘laze’, a dangerous product produced when hot lava hits cool ocean water, will affect residents. Laze, a word combination of lava and haze, contains hydrochloric acid steam along with volcanic glass particles. Mario Tama/Getty Images/AFP
PAHOA, HI – MAY 21: Lava erupts and flows from a Kilauea volcano fissure, towards the Pacific Ocean, on Hawaii’s Big Island on May 21, 2018 near Pahoa, Hawaii. Officials are concerned that ‘laze’, a dangerous product produced when hot lava hits cool ocean water, will affect residents. Laze, a word combination of lava and haze, contains hydrochloric acid steam along with volcanic glass particles. Mario Tama/Getty Images/AFP
PAHOA, HI – MAY 21: Lava from a Kilauea volcano fissure flows past trees downed by lava, as it flows towards the Pacific Ocean, on Hawaii’s Big Island, on May 21, 2018 near Pahoa, Hawaii. Officials are concerned that ‘laze’, a dangerous product produced when hot lava hits cool ocean water, will affect residents. Laze, a word combination of lava and haze, contains hydrochloric acid steam along with volcanic glass particles. Mario Tama/Getty Images/AFP
El encuentro de la lava incandescente con el agua produce humos ácidos, un fenómeno llamado en inglés “laze”, una palabra formada a partir de los términos “lava” y “haze” (niebla).
“La nube de humo es una mezcla irritante de ácido clorhídrico (HCl), vapor y pequeñas partículas de vidrio volcánico”, dijo el USGS.
“Esta mezcla gaseosa, corrosiva y caliente, causó dos muertes en el año 2000 en la zona donde el mar entró en contacto con los flujos de lava recientes y activos”, explicó.
El USGS también advirtió que las emisiones de gases volcánicos “se han triplicado como resultado de las voluminosas erupciones”.
Los vientos moderados hacen que las áreas hacia donde sopla el viento desde el volcán “puedan experimentar niveles variables” de humo volcánico, una especie de niebla que se forma cuando las emisiones reaccionan al oxígeno, la humedad, el polvo y la luz solar, dijo el USGS.
