A group of students at the University of Calgary will be heading to Hawaii at the end of this month, but it’s not for fun in the sun; they’re going to study one of world’s most active volcanoes.

Major activity at Kilauea, one of the most studied volcanos in the world, started up a few weeks ago and resulted in lava flowing into neighbourhoods that resulted in the destruction of at least 26 homes.

Most recently an explosion at the peak’s summit sent ash and superheated gas over a large area, prompting officials to issue an ash advisory on Thursday.

The spectacle is a sight to behold to the common person, but an expert at the University of Calgary says the eruption is routine, even seen as ‘benign’ by volcanologists.

“We know this volcano quite well and we’ve known that is has explosive history before but for the most part, we know the extent of damage and hazards that are associated with it. It’s only in the off chance that something goes completely out of wack that people need to worry,” said geology instructor Rajeev Nair.

However, it’s an opportunity that couldn’t be passed up, so Nair and a team of student geologists will be going there to study the processes first-hand and he says there isn’t any better place to do that.

“Kilauea is a good natural laboratory to do that because there are active processes that we can observe and we can also observe the product that it is creating right before our eyes.”

While there, students will need to complete studies on a number of different aspects of the eruption, from the large-scale processes that shape the planet and the smaller-scale processes as well.

They will also study the impact volcanoes like Kilauea have on nearby populations too.

“To manage any sort of natural disasters that occur associated with volcanoes, we have to understand how they operate and that’s the larger goal; to understand the patterns of how a particular volcano behaves so that you can make informed decisions like the current one in Hawaii.”

Those who’ve signed up for the trip are excited to be taking part in the adventure as well.

“It’s a major earth-forming process. I think it’s at the heart of every geologist, every student geologist to actually see this in action. So to be able to be there and take this opportunity is 100 percent amazing,” says Michelle Baumgartner, a Masters student in geology.

Stephane Pelletier, an undergraduate student says the experience will also be a great one because they will be able to study something they’ve only gotten to explore in theory during class time.

“We get a first-hand look at something, especially here in Alberta that we can’t normally see.”

While volcanoes are proven to be dangerous and destructive, Nair says a lot of logistical planning has gone into the trip to make sure that the team is safe every step of the way.

“When the eruptions started, my thinking was that they would probably wane by the time we reached there, but since then, the park has closed. That’s where most of the exercise sites were located in past years. So for the past few weeks we’ve been looking at making alternative exercise sites at different locations.”

He says that the team also be staying well away from areas that have been affected by ash or lava flows.

Once they’re back, students will need to do more detailed research and complete an oral presentation on their findings as well. Nair says there will be plenty for students to report on.

“Every time an eruption occurs, you learn something from it. I’m sure the volcanologists around the world are looking at Kilauea to actually learn something from it.”

The team departs on May 28 and returns on June 10.

Kilauea has been erupting continuously since 1983. It's among the five volcanoes that form the Big Island, and it's the only one actively erupting. In 1924, an eruption killed one person and sent rocks, ash and dust into the air for 17 days.

(With files from Kevin Green and the Associated Press)