Lava heads toward Hawaiian highway

Mauna Loa’s lava rivers could reach a thoroughfare connecting the east and west sides of Hawaii’s Big Island as early as this weekend. The lava has oozed down the slope to within miles of the highway. The world’s largest active volcano, Mauna Loa, woke up from a 38-year nap on Sunday. The volcano has been throwing ash and debris into the sky this week.

Can authorities do anything to stop the lava? Hawaiian Gov. David Ige has said that there is no way to block or reroute the flow. Ige has seen multiple volcanic eruptions during his tenure as governor. Ken Hon, the scientist in charge at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, said Wednesday that at their current rate, the lava rivers could reach the road in as little as two days, but it will likely take longer.

Dig deeper: Read Carolina Lumetta’s report in The Sift about a volcanic eruption that devastated the island of Tonga.