In May 2018, Kīlauea Volcano exploded dramatically, sending a colossal ash plume soaring nearly five miles into the sky. Now, groundbreaking research reveals that this volcanic eruption catalyzed the largest phytoplankton bloom ever observed in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre.

The study, published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, highlighted how ash from Kīlauea settled into ocean waters approximately 1,200 miles away, igniting an unprecedented summertime bloom. David Karl, co-author and oceanography expert from the University of Hawai'i, remarked, "The scale and duration of this bloom were massive—perhaps the largest ever reported for the North Pacific!"

Despite Kīlauea's status as one of the globe's most active volcanoes, this research is the first to link its ash emissions to open ocean phytoplankton growth. The 2018 eruption was not just a spectacle: it was one of the largest volcanic events in over two centuries, releasing millions of cubic feet of molten lava and staggering amounts of sulfur and carbon dioxide.

The Power of Volcanic Ash