Although the recent eruption of the Kilauea has taken no lives it has taken many homes and valuables. Also, the poisonous gases haven’t taken lives, it has come very close. Here are some facts about why the gas is poisonous and how scientists are able to predict explosions.

The reason the gas spit out of volcanos is poisonous is because magma contains dissolved gases, which provide the driving force that causes most volcanic eruptions. As magma rises towards the surface and pressure decreases, gases are released from the liquid portion of the magma (melt) and continue to travel upward and are eventually released into the atmosphere. By far the most abundant volcanic gas is water vapor, which is harmless. However, large amounts of carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, hydrogen sulfide and hydrogen halides can also be spit out from volcanoes. Depending on their amounts, these gases are all possibly dangerous to people, animals, agriculture, and property.