Lava Explosion Triggered By Collapse Of Hawaiian Volcano Wall

Compared to the footage recently seen from Calbuco, including this film taken with exceptional timing, this doesn't seem that big a deal. But that is partly because our eyes are fooled to the scale.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) says, “For scale, look at the left side 3/4's up from the bottom and you will see a tiny white thing. It's a 5' [1.5m] tall USGS camera. It sits right at the rim of the crater where the public viewing area use to be.”

Some of the boulders falling around the rim are “the size of bowling balls and even ovens” the USGS says, noting that the lava lake is 520 feet (160 m) by 690 feet (210 m).

^{Credit: USGS.}

Lava had been rising in the vent for the previous week, including some preview rock falls.