Photos show Kilauea volcano in Hawaii erupting for the second time this year
Kilauea Volcano in Hawaii started erupting on Monday following a three-month pause, the U.S. Geological Survey's Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said.
Kilauea began erupting around 2:30 a.m. local time at the base of the Halemaumau Crater within the summit caldera after elevated seismic activity was detected overnight, the USGS said.
Officials said the "dynamic" volcanic activity is currently confined to the summit caldera.
Webcam imagery showed lava fountains as high as 262 feet with molten material, including lava bombs, being ejected from the vents on the caldera floor. An estimated 400 acres of the caldera floor was covered in lava by 5:30 a.m., according to the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.
About four hours later, around 6:30 a.m. local time, the eruption had "stabilized" within the crater and there were no immediate threats to infrastructure.
Short video of the current Kīlauea eruption from the west caldera wall. pic.twitter.com/A3kBpJTeUl
— USGS Volcanoes🌋 (@USGSVolcanoes) December 23, 2024
Ken Hon, the head USGS scientist in Hawaii, told CBS affiliate KGMB that it was a "fairly rapid onset for one of these eruptions," adding that it had been the fifth eruption at Kilauea since December 2020.
"There's some very large fountains 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 of Volcanoes National Park," he added.
The USGS said the primary concern is high levels of volcanic gas – primarily water vapor, carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide – that could have "far-reaching effects down-wind." As sulfur dioxide was released from the summit of the eruption into the atmosphere, it was expected to create a visible haze, known as "volcanic smog" or "vog," downwind of Kilauea.
"The plume of volcanic gas and fine volcanic particles is reaching elevations of 6,000-8,000 feet above sea level (2,000-4,000 feet above ground level) and winds are transporting it to the southwest, within the closed area of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park," the USGS said.
The volcanic observatory also warned that strong winds could carry smaller particles of volcanic fragments coming from the lava fountains downwind, potentially over great distances, and urged residents and visitors to "minimize exposure to these volcanic particles, which can cause skin and eye irritation."
They said the hazards will be reassessed as the eruption progresses.
The last eruption on Kilauea was in June 2024 and lasted about five days. The volcano also erupted in September 2023 and lasted for a week, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
It was not clear how long Monday's eruption would last.