The Kilauea volcano in Hawaii is once again erupting in a dramatic display, with lava shooting up to 1,000 feet into the air, as reported by the United States Geological Survey. The ongoing eruption at HalemaÊ»umaÊ»u, the pit crater within KÄ«lauea Caldera, reached impressive heights with “Episode 26” on Friday morning, spewing lava fountains. Prior to this event, there were sporadic spattering and lava overflows. Kilauea, known as one of the most active volcanoes globally and situated on the Big Island, has been particularly active in recent months, experiencing numerous eruptions since December. The current eruption, starting at 1:40 a.m. local time, features lava fountains and flows erupting from the north vent into a remote area of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, mainly confined to the HalemaÊ»umaÊ»u crater and the southwest side of Kaluapele. The USGS has issued a volcano watch, indicating a code orange, warning that an eruption is either likely or occurring, albeit with minimal ash. Additionally, volcanic gas emissions and tephra from the lava fountain may be carried south of the caldera by northward winds. Other potential hazards include Pele’s hair, crater wall instability, ground cracking, and rockfalls, leading to the closure of KÄ«lauea’s caldera rim to the public since 2007 for safety reasons.
