Kīlauea on Hawaii resumed erupting on Tuesday, shooting lava fountains over 100 meters into the air for over 13 hours.
It marked the 32nd eruptive episode for one of the world’s most active volcanoes since the current activity began in December, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists said.
Why It Matters
Kīlauea’s summit fountaining produced large volumes of lava and substantial gas emissions that could affect air quality and public health downwind, according to USGS scientists. It also produced lofted glassy volcanic fragments that posed local physical hazards.
Sulfur dioxide and resulting vog (volcanic smog) can irritate eyes and respiratory systems, particularly in people with asthma and other chronic lung conditions, according to the Hawaii State Department of Health.
What To Know
Kīlauea is on Hawaii Island, about 200 miles south of Honolulu, the state capital on Oahu.
Just after midnight, lava began to emerge from the volcano’s north vent in Halemaumau Crater, the USGS said. At 6:35 a.m. Hawaii Standard Time, the vent began shooting fountains of lava. By midmorning, it was also erupting from two more vents.
USGS scientists recorded lava fountain heights of up to 150 meters during “Episode 32” and said all activity remained in the crater within a closed area of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.
Still, several hazards were highlighted, including volcanic gas emissions, notably sulfur dioxide; vog formation downwind; fallout of Pele’s hair and other glassy fragments that can irritate skin and eyes; and local hazards around the crater, such as ground cracking, rockfalls and unstable rim areas.
Pele’s hair—named for the Hawaiian volcano deity—forms when bubbles of gas near the surface of a lava flow burst, causing it to stretch the skin of the molten lava into long, thin threads.
What People Are Saying
Ken Hon, the scientist‑in‑charge at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, describing the challenges of predicting volcanic activity, told The Guardian: “Our job is like being a bunch of ants crawling on an elephant trying to figure out how the elephant works.”
Steve Lundblad, a geology professor at the University of Hawaii at Hilo, told the outlet: “We’re still gonna have spectacular eruptions. They’re just going to be wider and not as high.”
What Happens Next
USGS scientists said the eruption abruptly ended at 8:01 p.m. HST on Tuesday, but that the lava flows may continue to exhibit slow movement or incandescence as they cooled and solidified over subsequent days.
The agency also said it would continue to monitor the volcano and would issue additional notices if activity changed.
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