Explosive eruptions triggered by rockfalls at Kīlauea volcano, Hawai‘i

Researchers at Kīlauea volcano, Hawai‘i, have discovered that rockfalls from the vent walls trigger transient outgassing bursts and weak explosive eruptions. These events, previously thought to be random, are linked to composite seismic events and occur during the evolution of a collapse crater within the volcano's summit. The study leveraged geologic observations, particularly from a network of webcams, to provide unprecedented insights into lava lake dynamics and shallow outgassing processes. While the exact mechanism is not fully understood, it is hypothesized that rockfalls generate a rebound splash or Worthington jet, which then fragments, leading to explosive activity. This finding introduces a new class of small transient explosive eruptions triggered externally by rockfalls.

Orr, T. R., Thelen, W. A., Patrick, M. R., Swanson, D. A., & Wilson, D. C. (2013). Explosive eruptions triggered by rockfalls at Kīlauea volcano, Hawai‘i. Geology, 41(2), 207–210. https://doi.org/10.1130/g33564.1