Kilauea Volcano in Hawaii began erupting on Monday after a three-month hiatus, the US Geological Survey’s Hawaii Volcano Observatory (USGS) said.
Kilauea began erupting around 2:30 a.m. local time at the base of Halemaumau Crater inside the summit caldera after high seismic activity was detected overnight. the USGS said.
Officials said “dynamic” volcanic activity is currently confined to the summit caldera.
US Geological Survey
Webcam images showed fountains of lava up to 262 feet high with molten material, including lava bombs, ejected through vents in the caldera floor.
About four hours later, around 6:30 a.m. local time, the eruption had “stabilized” inside the crater and there were no immediate threats to infrastructure.
Ken Hon, the USGS chief scientist in Hawaii, said KGMB, CBS affiliate that it was a “pretty quick start for one of these eruptions,” adding that it had been the fifth eruption at Kilauea since December 2020.
“There are some very large springs playing in the southwest corner of Halemaumau Crater, which is in the southern half of Kaluapele, or the summit caldera of Kilauea Volcano up here and near the entrance to Volcanoes National Park “, he added.
US Geological Survey
The USGS said the main concern is high levels of volcanic gas, mainly water vapor, carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide, which could have “far-reaching downwind effects.”
“The plume of volcanic gas and volcanic fines is reaching elevations of 6,000-8,000 feet above sea level (2,000-4,000 feet above ground level) and is being carried by winds to the southwest, within the closed area of Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park.” the USGS said.
They said the dangers will be reassessed as the eruption progresses.
The last eruption Kilauea was in June 2024 and it lasted about five days. The volcano also erupted in September 2023 and lasted for a week, according to reports to the US Geological Survey.
It was unclear how long Monday’s eruption would last.