PUNA, HAWAII — Hawaii's Big Island continues to be plagued by volcanic eruptions, which have destroyed several homes and forced roughly 2,000 people to evacuate.<br /><br />Reuters reports that lava flows and fissures have caused a large part of the damage, though it's important to make a distinction between the two in order to better understand the situation.<br /><br />According to the U.S. Geological Survey, lava flows are streams of hot molten rock that pour out onto the earth during an effusive eruption.<br /><br />Lava flows come in different sizes and speeds depending on the viscosity of the lava. Its path is possible to predict since flows are confined by topography.<br /><br />Volcanic fissures meanwhile, are linear vents usually a few meters wide and several kilometers long through which lava spews out.<br /><br />Scientists may know the general direction of magma flow underground, but it's impossible to predict when and where fissures will appear.<br /><br />Seismic activity and cracks on the ground may indicate that a fissure will soon appear, but the unpredictability of this force of nature definitely makes the situation in Hawaii even more dangerous.
