Hawaii Volcanoes National Park will shut down from Friday amid growing fears of an ‘explosive’ steam-induced eruption.
Volcanologists said a summit eruption at Kilauea Volcano could spew ash, steam and toxic sulphur and could even send massive 10-ton boulders shooting out of its summit crater.
The US Geological Survey said the volcano could shoot large rocks up to a mile away and volcanic dust as far away as Hilo, which is about 30 miles.
Scientists said this may happen as the lava level drops due to seepage from the various vents which have been created over the past few days.
This then causes magma to heat water and produce steam which could be powerful enough to eject large rocks into the air.
Don Swanson, a geologist with the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, said the magma could drop below the water table in a few days
More than 2,000 people have been evacuated from areas surrounding the volcano and about 30 homes have been destroyed by lava flows.
However general tourism is mostly unaffected as the main resort areas are about 100 miles away.
Flights to and from Kona and Hilo airports are continuing as normal.
