What happens if a volcano and a hurricane meet in Hawaii?

Hurricane Hector is barreling toward Hawaii as a Category 3 storm Sunday with maximum wind speeds of 125 mph. It is not yet clear whether Hector will hit the islands directly or pass to the south of the archipelago as it moves into the central Pacific basin Sunday night.

Of particular concern is the southernmost Big Island of Hawaii, the most likely to experience the brunt of the storm — and the site of the ongoing Kilauea volcanic eruption. It is unknown what effect the storm's low atmospheric pressure could produce on the volcano. The hurricane triggering an eruption "is always possible," said Ken Rubin, a geologist at the University of Hawaii, "but the odds are actually slim."

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