Eruption

The state of Hawaii is an archipelago, or a collection of islands, in the South Pacific. The largest of these islands is Hawai‘i, also known as the Big Island, which is home to five volcanos. The largest of these volcanos is Mauna Loa, the volcano whose eruption imperils the people on the island and ultimately the whole world in Eruption. A largely inactive volcano, Mauna Kea, is located to the north of Mauna Loa and Saddle Road separates the two. The fictional dangerous substance Agent Black is stored just across Saddle Road from Mauna Loa at the base of Mauna Kea near the Military Reserve base.

Mauna Loa is a shield volcano with a large, gently sloping base. Underneath the volcano is a large pool of magma, or molten rock. When the volcano is active, the magma bubbles up and forces out lava (molten rock), rock fragments, and volcanic gases through vents, or holes in the crust. Mauna Loa has a caldera, or a large circular depression, at its summit that formed after a previous eruption caused the volcano to partially collapse into itself. Running southwest to northeast across Mauna Loa is a rift zone, or a surface with many cracks in it where magma can easily come to the surface (“Understanding Rift Zones.” University of Hawai‘i at Hilo).

When a volcano explodes it releases a pyroclastic flow, also known as nuée ardente, a fast-moving combination of volcanic rocks and hot gases that creates a dangerous avalanche. Vog, a mixture of sulfuric dioxide and other sulfates that interacts with oxygen and moisture to create a toxic cloud that reduces visibility, also releases during volcanic explosions. Following a volcanic eruption, the magma forced up toward the crust of the earth retreats. This leaves behind empty lava tubes or caves just under the surface of the earth. When lava released during an eruption cools, it typically forms a kind of rock known as basalt. A basalt rock wall formed from a previous eruption of Mauna Kea protects the material in the Ice Tube in Eruption.