The scorching lava flowed down streets and slopes, carrying with it towering pillars of flame and billowing smoke that surged into the sky.
The volcanic eruption was a tremendous disaster, destroying homes, cities, and entire civilizations, as the fiery lava swallowed everything it touched in flames.
This is the volcano eruption most people imagine, one that arrives with devastation.
However, Nature is balanced.
Volcanoes are so fierce and destructive, yet for this very reason, they create some of the richest and most lush ecosystems in the world.
These ecosystems not only survive but thrive after these violent outbursts from Earth.
On the over one hundred square kilometers of Easter Island, there are three massive volcanic craters, the largest being the Rano Kau Crater with a diameter of about 1600 meters, a depth of over 200 meters, and a water depth of over 600 meters, serving as an important source of drinking water for island residents.