Hawaii could see acid rain and boulders falling from the sky, new warnings suggest - here's what the ongoing volcano eruption looks like on the ground
Geologists have been closely monitoring the crater on Kilauea's summit in the hope of predicting when more intense outbursts will occur.
When the level of the lava in the crater plummets, as geologists are seeing on Kilauea, that can be a sign that explosions of ash and steam could follow.
The level of the lava lake in Kilauea's summit crater has fallen over 220 meters in recent days, indicating an explosion is likely.
Residential neighborhoods near Kilauea's crater have been hit particularly hard.
The volcanic activity causes rifts, or fissures, to open in the ground around the crater, causing lava to spew out into residential neighborhoods.
Lava flows have destroyed houses, roads, and even downed power lines.
But the lava isn't the only concern. Volcanic rifts in the ground spew noxious fumes, like sulfur dioxide, which can cause lung infections. Children and seniors are particularly at risk.
When there's precipitation in the forecast, sulfur dioxide can also cause acid rain, when the moisture in the air mixes with the gas.
Acid rain is rainfall that's made acidic by atmospheric pollution like sulfur dioxide. It can kill plants and animals and degrade infrastructure.
New rifts are opening around the crater on an almost daily basis — and there's no signs of them stopping.
The 15th rift opened up in a residential area on Wednesday, causing more lava to flow into the neighborhood.
It will take a long time for local neighborhoods to recover from the damage.
Residents are allowed to access their homes during the day, but authorities have warned that they should be ready to flee at a moment's notice.
Around 1,700 people still cannot sleep in their homes, according to CNN.
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