HONOLULU — Blue flames from burning methane are the latest natural phenomena being seen during the eruption of Kilauea volcano.
Nighttime photos released Wednesday by the U.S. Geological Survey show the flames spouting from cracks in the pavement in the Leilani Estates neighborhood where the volcano has been gushing lava for the past three weeks.
The volcano produces methane when hot lava buries and burns plants and trees.
“The methane gas will flow through the ground, through the cracks that are already existing, and will come up wherever there’s a place for them to come up,” said Wendy Stovall, a scientist with the U.S. Geological Survey. The methane can seep through cracks several feet away from the lava. It can also cause explosions when it’s ignited while trapped underground.