Understandingthesciencewasonlypartoftheteam’smission.Theyalsowantedtosharetheirdatawithpeoplewholivednearby.Morethan1.9millionpeoplelivewithin10kilometers(6.2miles)oftheactivelava domes.

Whilemosteruptionsaresmall,twobigdangerscanoccur.First,thelavadomesproducealargeamountofashandvolcanicrock.Whenrain watermixeswiththem,itformsamuddyliquid.Thisflowsdownthevolcano.Onetypeofflowiscalleda“lahar.”Laharsarelargecurrentsofthick,ash‑richwater.Laharscandestroywhole towns. 

Pyroclasticflowsarehotcloudsofgas,ash,androck.Theymoveacrossthegroundatgreatspeed.Theycandestroyeverythingintheirpath, too.

Manylocalpeoplegrewupwithstoriesaboutthelavadomes.So,theteamcreatedamuseumexhibit.Theysharedfactsaboutthedomes.Nowpeopleunderstandmoreabouttheirfieryneighbor.Thiswillhelpthemplanwarningsystemsandthinkofwaystoprevent damage.

Theteamstillhasworktodo.Itwilltaketimetoanalyzethephotos.Theyhopetorevealhowlavadomesactandwhatchangesmaycomeinthe future.