Hawaii Volcano Began Erupting
Following months of inactivity, one of Hawaii’s most active volcanoes erupted on Wednesday, spewing gas and lava into the air.
The Kilauea volcano on Hawaii’s Big Island began to show signs of life on Tuesday, when scientists from the United States Geological Survey’s Hawaii Volcano Observatory reported increased activity, prompting the volcano’s alert status to be raised to orange, or “watch.” On Wednesday, Sept. 29, at 3:20 p.m. local time, the volcano erupted.
As the eruption has progressed, the observatory’s alert level has been raised from a watch to a warning, and the aviation color code alert has been elevated to red.
The eruption at Kilauea’s summit is taking place within a closed region of Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park, according to observatory officials. High amounts of volcanic gas are the “main hazard of concern,” according to the scientists, and this hazard can have “far-reaching impacts downwind.”
“The early stages of eruptions are dynamic and unpredictable,” officials warned, adding that they will continue to keep a careful eye on the volcano.
The volcano erupted lava as high as 100 feet into the air and swamped parts of the Halemaumau Crater’s floor, which sits at the summit of the volcano’s 4,000-foot summit.
Officials say the explosion is contained within the crater and poses no immediate threat to adjacent communities or structures. Visitors have been restricted to a part of the park near the erupting volcano, but the entire 335,000-acre park remains open with no road closures.
The lava is expected to linger in the crater, according to Ken Hon, the chief scientist at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. Hon also told Hawaii News Now that it’s too early to say how long this eruption will last, but that eruptions typically last less than a year.
Hon told the Associated Press that there are no signs that lava is spreading into the lower part of the east rift zone, where people reside. “At the moment, everything is taking place within the park.”
Volcanologists continued to monitor the activity throughout the night, as lava lakes remained within the crater.
Meanwhile, fantastic footage of the volcanic eruption was captured.
A timelapse of the eruption was tweeted out by Hawaii’s Volcanoes National Park, which showed billowing volcanic gas spewing from the crater for several hours.
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