Christian Shorey, teaching professor of geology and geological engineering at Colorado School of Mines, visited Hawaii's Kilauea volcano last summer and discussed the recent eruption that has already destroyed at least 35 structures with KDVR Fox31 Denver.
"It goes through cycles. Deflation, inflation it expands and then deflates. It has this dissolved gas in it and as it comes out that gas wants to come out solution and push the rest of the magma up," said Shorey.
When magma tries to reach the surface, these fissures form in roadways. Shorey said it's the easiest path for the lava by traveling through cracks in rock.