PAHOA, Hawaii — The eruption of Kilauea volcano in Hawaii sparked new safety warnings about toxic gas on the Big Island’s southern coastline after lava began flowing into the ocean and setting off a chemical reaction. Officials earlier this month removed 50,000 gallons (190,000 litres) of stored flammable gas from the plant to reduce the chance of explosions. It is made of dense white clouds of steam, toxic gas and tiny shards of volcanic glass. Janet Babb, a geologist with the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, says the plume “looks innocuous, but it’s not.”HOW IS IT CREATED? “Just like if you drop a glass on your kitchen floor, there’s some large pieces and there are some very, very tiny pieces,” Babb said.

Source: National Post May 22, 2018 06:00 UTC