Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano began erupting again after nearly three months of quiet, with glowing lava flows bursting within one of its craters Sunday, according to the US Geological Survey.
The eruption started around 3:15 p.m. local time in Halemaʻumaʻu crater in Kilauea’s summit caldera at Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park, according to USGS. Kīlauea is the youngest and most active volcano on the island, with several summit eruptions since 2020.
“The eruption was preceded by a period of strong seismicity and rapid uplift of the summit,” USGS said Sunday night.
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Video showed lava spewing from fissures at the crater’s base, but the activity was confined to the crater as of Sunday.
“At this time, lava at Kilauea is confined to the summit and does not pose a lava threat to communities,” the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency said.
Kilauea’s volcano alert level was elevated to “warning” as authorities work to assess the hazards from the eruption, according to USGS, which warned that the “opening phases of eruptions are dynamic.”
With the volcano erupting, the primary concerns are volcanic gas and delicate strands of volcanic glass – called Pele’s hair – that can float downwind, according to the agency.
“Strong winds may waft lighter particles to greater distances,” USGS said in an alert. “Residents and visitors should minimize exposure to these volcanic particles, which can cause skin and eye irritation. ”
Kilauea last erupted briefly in June, putting on a dazzling display with lava fountain bursts about 200 feet high. The eruption ended on June 19, according to USGS.
Watch:
https://twitter.com/KMutisi/status/1701115448882872695?s=20
Kilauea also erupted in January, after it stopped in December for the first time since September 2021, when there was an eruption in which lava was contained to Kilauea’s summit crater.
But a previous eruption in 2018 was one of the most destructive in recent Hawaii history, destroying hundreds of homes and forcing evacuations of surrounding neighbourhoods.-CNN
