New Fiery Eruption At Hawaii's Kilauea Volcano
Hawaii's Kilauea volcano is currently spewing fiery red-orange lava up to 250 feet high from its north vent, in what's being called 'Episode 8' of the ongoing Halemaʻumaʻu eruption.
Fountains from the north vent have grown from 50 feet to more than 250 feet high in an hour's time and are feeding multiple lava streams, the observatory said. Active lava flows now cover approximately 15 to 20 percent of the crater floor.
There's no immediate threat to any structures nearby.
Volcanic activity at the summit of Kilauea, within Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, has been intermittent over the past few weeks.
The initial eruption began Dec. 23 in the southwestern part of the caldera, which is a large basin-shaped volcanic depression that houses volcanic vents. Magma erupts and volcanic gases are emitted from those vents.
This latest episode began on Feb. 3, according to the Hawaii Volcano Observatory. It was preceded by small, sporadic spatter fountains that began Feb. 2, which then increased into the following day, when sustained fountaining began, the observatory said.
Each episode of Halemaʻumaʻu lava fountaining since Dec. 23 has continued for between 13 hours and eight days, according to the latest Hawaiian Volcano Observatory Status Report by the U.S. Geological Survey. The eight episodes have been separated by pauses in eruptive activity lasting less than 24 hours to 12 days.
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