(Trends Wide) — As state officials raise the warning level for Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano eruption, they are highlighting a number of safe spots for the thousands of people expected to flock to the area to enjoy the magnificent sight.
The volcano began erupting before dawn on Wednesday with a burst of lava spewed from inside the Halemaʻumaʻu crater in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, home to two of the world’s most active volcanoes, Kilauea and Mauna Loa. .
The Kilauea volcano shot lava to about 60 meters high during the initial phase of the eruption on Wednesday, with the largest lava fountain consistently reaching about 15 meters high, according to the US Geological Survey. (USGS).
With lava flowing on the surface of the crater floor, the alert level for Kilauea volcano was raised to red for “advisory” while authorities assessed the dangers of the eruption, the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said Wednesday.
The Kīlauea volcano eruption is confined to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, and authorities said there are no indications that populated areas are threatened.
The latest eruptions at the top of Kilauea started “strongly and then subsided over time,” and this latest eruption appears to follow a similar pattern, USGS geologist Katie Mulliken told Trends Wide.
Lava flows from the Kilauea volcano in Hawaii on Wednesday. (Credit: Janice Wei/National Park Service/AP)
The Kilauea volcano, which has erupted for the first time in months, is expected to draw thousands of visitors to the national park, officials said. Visitors were warned to stay on marked trails and viewpoints, stay away from enclosed areas, and remember that eruptions are considered a sacred event.
“Witnessing the crust of an active lava lake being washed into boiling springs is unforgettable,” Hawaii Volcanoes National Park officials said. “While an eruption is an exciting experience, keep in mind that you are observing a sacred event.”
In Native Hawaiian lore, eruptions have incredible spiritual significance and the top of Kīlauea is sacred and believed to be the home of Pele, the Hawaiian volcano deity, according to the National Park Service.
Those heading to see the dazzling display of lava in person can view it from as close as about half a mile to the Overlook near Keanakākoʻi Crater, about one mile from Uēkahuna, and three miles to Kūpinaʻi Pali from the Crater Rim Trail. , according to the National Park Service.
Park officials said lava can be visible from many areas and dominates the surrounding area of Kaluapele, but warned that conditions could change at any time due to eruptive activity and weather conditions.
For those who want to enjoy the spectacle from home, the USGS has a live feed of the eruption showing real-time footage of the lava fountains.
The eruption is visible on top of the Kilauea volcano in Hawaii on Wednesday. (Credit: US Geological Survey/AP)
Volcanic gas is the main concern
High levels of volcanic gas are the main hazard and cause for concern, the National Park Service said, adding that “this hazard can have high wind effects.”
“Large amounts of volcanic gas, mainly water vapor (H2O), carbon dioxide (CO2) and sulfur dioxide (SO2), are continuously released during eruptions from the Kīlauea volcano,” the NPS said on its website.
Volcanic smog, which has been observed downwind of Kīlauea, creates the potential for airborne health hazards for residents and visitors, the park service added.
Other hazards include long, thin strands of volcanic glass, known as Pele’s hair, and other volcanic fragments from lava fountains that can fall downwind from the fissures, authorities added.
The USGS advised residents to minimize exposure to these volcanic particles, which can cause skin and eye irritation.
The Kilauea volcano last erupted in January and showed signs of “increased unrest” in May. The volcano had stopped erupting in December for the first time since September 2021.
Lava from the 2021 eruption was contained in Kilauea’s summit crater, but a previous eruption in 2018 was one of the most destructive in recent Hawaiian history, destroying hundreds of homes and forcing the evacuation of surrounding neighborhoods.
(Trends Wide) — As state officials raise the warning level for Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano eruption, they are highlighting a number of safe spots for the thousands of people expected to flock to the area to enjoy the magnificent sight.
The volcano began erupting before dawn on Wednesday with a burst of lava spewed from inside the Halemaʻumaʻu crater in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, home to two of the world’s most active volcanoes, Kilauea and Mauna Loa. .
The Kilauea volcano shot lava to about 60 meters high during the initial phase of the eruption on Wednesday, with the largest lava fountain consistently reaching about 15 meters high, according to the US Geological Survey. (USGS).
With lava flowing on the surface of the crater floor, the alert level for Kilauea volcano was raised to red for “advisory” while authorities assessed the dangers of the eruption, the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said Wednesday.
The Kīlauea volcano eruption is confined to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, and authorities said there are no indications that populated areas are threatened.
The latest eruptions at the top of Kilauea started “strongly and then subsided over time,” and this latest eruption appears to follow a similar pattern, USGS geologist Katie Mulliken told Trends Wide.
Lava flows from the Kilauea volcano in Hawaii on Wednesday. (Credit: Janice Wei/National Park Service/AP)
The Kilauea volcano, which has erupted for the first time in months, is expected to draw thousands of visitors to the national park, officials said. Visitors were warned to stay on marked trails and viewpoints, stay away from enclosed areas, and remember that eruptions are considered a sacred event.
“Witnessing the crust of an active lava lake being washed into boiling springs is unforgettable,” Hawaii Volcanoes National Park officials said. “While an eruption is an exciting experience, keep in mind that you are observing a sacred event.”
In Native Hawaiian lore, eruptions have incredible spiritual significance and the top of Kīlauea is sacred and believed to be the home of Pele, the Hawaiian volcano deity, according to the National Park Service.
Those heading to see the dazzling display of lava in person can view it from as close as about half a mile to the Overlook near Keanakākoʻi Crater, about one mile from Uēkahuna, and three miles to Kūpinaʻi Pali from the Crater Rim Trail. , according to the National Park Service.
Park officials said lava can be visible from many areas and dominates the surrounding area of Kaluapele, but warned that conditions could change at any time due to eruptive activity and weather conditions.
For those who want to enjoy the spectacle from home, the USGS has a live feed of the eruption showing real-time footage of the lava fountains.
The eruption is visible on top of the Kilauea volcano in Hawaii on Wednesday. (Credit: US Geological Survey/AP)
Volcanic gas is the main concern
High levels of volcanic gas are the main hazard and cause for concern, the National Park Service said, adding that “this hazard can have high wind effects.”
“Large amounts of volcanic gas, mainly water vapor (H2O), carbon dioxide (CO2) and sulfur dioxide (SO2), are continuously released during eruptions from the Kīlauea volcano,” the NPS said on its website.
Volcanic smog, which has been observed downwind of Kīlauea, creates the potential for airborne health hazards for residents and visitors, the park service added.
Other hazards include long, thin strands of volcanic glass, known as Pele’s hair, and other volcanic fragments from lava fountains that can fall downwind from the fissures, authorities added.
The USGS advised residents to minimize exposure to these volcanic particles, which can cause skin and eye irritation.
The Kilauea volcano last erupted in January and showed signs of “increased unrest” in May. The volcano had stopped erupting in December for the first time since September 2021.
Lava from the 2021 eruption was contained in Kilauea’s summit crater, but a previous eruption in 2018 was one of the most destructive in recent Hawaiian history, destroying hundreds of homes and forcing the evacuation of surrounding neighborhoods.
