夏威夷“热点”

H o t ， m e l t e d1 rock called lava2 is coming out of a volcano3 in Hawaii. Kilauea Volcano（基拉韦厄火山）started to erupt4 in early May，2018. Lava has covered more than six hundred homes on the Big Island. Many people have had to leave. The lava has slowed down， but scientists do not know when it will stop.

O n M a y 3 ， earthquakes made cracks（裂痕）in the ground. Red-hot lava shot out of the cracks. Rivers of lava flowed into places where people live. The lava buried cars， roads， and houses. After two weeks， explosions5 started at the top of Kilauea. The volcano made clouds of smog6 that is not safe to breathe.

In June， lava poured into a big lake. All the water boiled away7！ The lava buried more houses. Then it reached the ocean and started to cool down. When lava cools， it turns to rock. The rock builds up and makes new land. The islands get bigger！

All the land in Hawaii comes from volcanoes. Hot， melted rock moves up from a hot spot deep under the surface. The hot spot stays in one place， but Earths surface moves over it. A chain8 of volcanoes form on the surface. Kilauea Volcano sits right above the hot spot. It probably will not cool off anytime soon.

熔化后的炙熱岩石——岩浆，正从夏威夷的火山中喷涌而出。在2018年5月初，位于夏威夷群岛大岛的基拉韦厄火山开始喷发。超过600栋民居被岩浆覆盖，居民被迫撤离。喷发现虽已减弱，但科学家们表示尚难判断其结束时间。

5月3日发生的地震使得地面出现裂痕。随后，火红的熔岩喷射而出，流入住宅区，摧毁汽车，烧毁道路和房屋。两周后，基拉韦厄火山顶部再次爆发，形成大片有毒烟霾，严重威胁人们的健康。

6月，火山岩浆灌入一处大面积湖泊，湖水被全部蒸干！更多房屋被吞没。随后岩浆流入海洋，开始冷却。冷却后的岩浆重新变成岩石，竟诞生出大片新的陆地，增加了岛屿的面积！

整个夏威夷群岛皆因火山形成。地表深处的“热点”产生炙热的熔岩，冲出地壳。热点的位置是固定的，但地球板块会移动，于是逐渐形成了一串火山链。基拉韦厄火山恰恰位于热点上方，一时半会儿是无法“降温”了。