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IMAGE: Fissure 8 erupts in lava hazard zone 1, back-lighting a front gate, a mailbox and utility lines. May 5, 2018. view more
Credit: Bruce Houghton
The unprecedented cost of the 2018 Kilauea eruption in Hawai i reflects the intersection of distinct physical and social phenomena: infrequent, highly destructive eruptions, and atypically high population growth, according to a new study published in
Nature Communications and led by University of Hawai i at Mānoa researchers.
It has long been recognized that areas in Puna, Hawai i, are at high risk from lava flows. This ensured that land values were lower in Puna which lies within the three highest risk lava hazard zones 1, 2 and 3 which actively promoted rapid population growth.