Hawaii’s Kilauea Volcano Occurs

Within Hawaii’s Volcanoes National Park, the highly active Kilauea volcano erupted on Monday. Authorities stated that there was no immediate threat to the residences or residents nearby from the eruption, despite the dramatic spectacle.

According to the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) of the US Geological Survey, the eruption happened in a region of Hawaii’s Big Island that hadn’t experienced activity in more than 50 years. The eruption began in the morning and, according to the HVO and Hawaii’s emergency management agency, it had stopped after nearly 12 hours. Officials cautioned that things could change fast and that the situation is still unstable.

Volcanic gasses were drifting downwind as the USGS reported that lava had been “fountaining” from fissures that were half a mile long. Since there had been more earthquake activity near Kilauea’s top, scientists have been keeping a careful eye on the volcano.

“What makes volcanic eruptions dangerous is their unpredictable nature,” park spokeswoman Jessica Ferracane stated on Hawaii News Now. Arriving to watch the explosion from a safe distance were spectators. According to the USGS, the eruption happened in a remote, gated area of the park.

Numerous eruptions of Kilauea have occurred during the previous 70 years, with three occurring in 2023 alone. In 2018, a significant eruption resulted in widespread destruction, engulfing houses in lava and forcing hundreds of locals to flee.

The HVO noted that elevated volcanic gas emissions persisted despite the eruption’s halt, and they will continue to closely monitor the site because the eruption might resume at any time. Volcanic smog, or vog, is a major risk during Kilauea’s eruptions. It arises from the reaction of sulfur dioxide from eruption vents with oxygen and water vapor in the atmosphere.

The Pacific plate has been migrating over a hot region in the Earth’s mantle for the past 5 million years, which has caused Hawaii’s aboveground volcanoes, including Kilauea, to form.

Keep checking back for more details as this story develops.