Hawaii's Kilauea volcano doesn't usually explode, but now experts are ready for the worst

It's common for plumes of steam to drift from the summit of the Kilauea volcano in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, as hundreds of curious visitors peer onto a blackened, lava-covered land. 

But rangers have now closed down most the park, as top volcanologists at the U.S. Geological Survey warn that there's a good chance Kilauea will erupt explosively, something the volcano hasn't done for over half a century.

SEE ALSO: An astronaut saw Hawaii's Kilauea volcano erupting from space. And he took a picture.

For 35 years, this volcano has oozed lava from the ground, with the molten rock mostly flowing into the ocean. But after an abrupt shift in how Kilauea's magma rises to the surface, the volcano might now be on the verge of an explosive eruption. Read more...

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