Kilauea volcanic eruption in Hawaii's Big Island sparks USGS warning
The Kilauea volcano on Hawaii’s Big Island is erupting again, sending lava fountains and bursts of volcanic gas into the air.
The eruption began Thursday afternoon at the volcano’s crater, the U.S. Geological Survey said as it issued an alert for people on the ground and warned the aviation sector of airborne ash hazards.
So far, the lava from one of the world’s most active volcanoes is confined to within Kilauea’s crater, in a closed area of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, so there is no threat to communities, Hawaii’s emergency management agency said in a tweet.
It is the first eruption at Kilauea in about a month, after it went quiet in early December.
The eruption has led to several active volcanic fountains in Kilauea’s summit crater, Halemaʻumaʻu — with the largest lava fountain about 10 meters (33 feet) high, the USGS said. Some of the initial bursts of lava reached up to 50 meters (164 feet) high, the agency added.
The agency and the USGS warned residents that the high levels of volcanic gas emerging could still be a hazard as they travel downwind, particularly as the sulfur dioxide can react in the atmosphere to create volcanic smog, and pose a health hazard.
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Other hazards include Pele’s hair — small strands of molten lava — and other lightweight volcanic particles that can cause skin and eye irritation.
Kilauea was the site of a significant eruption in 2018 that destroyed hundreds of homes and, until its most recent pause in December, it had been erupting almost continuously for more than a year.
It is located near Mauna Loa, Earth’s largest active volcano, which is also on Hawaii Island (“Big Island”).
According to Hawaiian myth, Kilauea is also the home to Pele, the Hawaiian goddess of volcanoes and fire.
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