Hawaii’s erupting Kilauea volcano has consumed a United States Geological Survey (USGS) GPS outpost as the Halemaumau crater collapses in on itself.
The Hawaii volcano GPS station dropped into the crumbling Kilauea crater after a month of gradual decline. The USGS instrument began drifting downwards after the ongoing eruption began on May 3 but later picked up speed on June 8.
After recording more than 310 feet (95metres) of crater slumping, the USGS revealed today it has lost all radio contact with the outpost on June 18. The US agency said: “The GPS instrument, called NPIT, first started moving downward in early May at the onset of subsidence at Kilauea’s summit.