HONOLULU—A volcano in Hawaii has once more become active, sending impressive plumes of lava skyward. The early hours of Tuesday saw lava fountains surging to elevations between 400 feet (120 meters) and 500 feet (150 meters), according to updates from the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory of the U.S. Geological Survey.
This eruption signifies the 13th occurrence of intermittent lava activity from Kilauea volcano, which has been ongoing since December 23rd. However, this particular event was short-lived, as scientists reported that the lava fountaining ceased abruptly by the afternoon.
Observations via webcam captured striking images of vigorous lava fountains alongside clouds of smoke as of Tuesday morning. But by later in the day, only smoke remained visible above the volcano. Previous activity on Monday afternoon saw small, intermittent lava spurts reaching heights of 15 feet (5 meters) to 30 feet (10 meters). This sporadic spattering increased through the night into early Tuesday, the observatory noted in their status report.
Fortunately, no residential areas have faced danger from the volcanic activities. The eruption has attracted numerous visitors to the park, eager to witness the dramatic natural display. Over the course of this series of eruptions, some lava fountains have climbed as high as 600 feet (180 meters).
The duration of each lava fountaining event has varied, lasting from mere hours to several days. Between these events, there have been pauses ranging from less than a day to as lengthy as 12 days, as the observatory further detailed.
