Volcanoes The death toll keeps rising after the eruption of Guatemala's Fuego volcano. At least 69 people are dead, and rescuers are braving scalding ash and the risk of mudslides as they try to find survivors and retrieve bodies. Volcanic ash, which buried entire towns, has now covered a 12-mile radius. Meanwhile in Hawaii, earthquakes are still rocking the Kilauea volcano's summit, and lava has covered nearly 5,000 acres on the Big Island. At least 117 homes have been destroyed since the lava began pouring last month. So, why has the volcano in Guatemala been so much deadlier than the one in Hawaii? The answer is speed. Lava from Kilauea moves much slower than the dangerous mix of ash, rock and gases spewing from Fuego. This mix, known as pyroclastic flow, can race down a volcano at hundreds of kilometers per hour. |
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