Lava Sent 100 Feet Into the Air After Kilauea Volcano Eruption

Posted: October 1, 2021 11:23 am

Volcano Has Long History of Activity

After months of dormancy, Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano sprung to life again on Wednesday afternoon. Located on Hawaii’s Big Island, the volcanic eruption sent gas and lava into the air, prompting the issue of a code red alert.

Wednesday’s Eruption

As one of the island chain’s most active volcanoes, Kilauea had been inactive since May. However, scientists noticed on Tuesday that the volcano was beginning to demonstrate increased amounts of activity. This led to the issue of an alert status of orange by the US Geological Survey’s Hawaii Volcano Observatory.

Kilauea then erupted at 3:20 pm local time on Wednesday. The observatory ended up upgrading the alert level from an orange watch status to a red warning status. While the eruption is happening within an area of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park that is closed to the public, the high levels of volcanic gas can travel downwind.

Details of Eruption

During the peak time of the eruption, the lava rose as high as 100 feet up into the air. As it came down, it flooded a portion of the Halemaumau Crater floor. This floor is located at the top of the 4,000-foot summit of the massive volcano.

The good news is that the eruption did not spew past the crater’s vicinity. There are no signs that the lava will move into the east rift zone, the area around the park where people live and work. While the national park is still open to visitors, the area surrounding the volcano is closed in order to ensure the safety of all guests.

Officials believe that the lava will not seep past the crater. However, the experts are still unsure how long the eruption will continue.

History of Kilauea Volcano

This volcano began erupting in December of 2020, continuing to spew lava and gas for almost six months. The last time that the volcano erupted was on May 26. Until Wednesday, the popular Big Island landmark had remained quiet.

It was just in 2018 that Kilauea experienced a time of major volcanic activity, erupting for four months. The time of activity led to the evacuation of thousands of residents. By the time the active period had come to an end, over 700 structures had been destroyed.

Prior to the 2018 event, the volcano had been erupting in small increments since 1983. These eruptions often sent streams of lava into homes and rural areas of the island. Sometimes the lava would travel as far as the ocean.

Officials Caution Visitors

Although the volcano currently poses no risks to visitors, officials with the national park worry that the eruption and Mother Nature’s stunning show will attract more people to the area. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park spokesperson Jessica Ferracane said that they are expecting thousands of additional visitors to head to the park to check out the volcanic activity.

Ferracane cautions that visitors need to be mindful of avoiding crowds due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. She is asking that all visitors wear masks and maintain a distance of at least six feet from other parties.

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