Hawaii: World's most active volcano Kilauea erupts, Big Island on red alert

One of the world's most active volcanoes, Kilauea in Hawaii, is erupting, putting Hawaii's Big Island on alert. The US Geological Survey announced on September 29 that an eruption had started in the Halemaumau crater at the top of the Kilauea volcano. The official account of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park posted an update on Twitter with the caption, "Happening now: a new eruption of Kīlauea inside Halemaʻumaʻu!" 

According to webcam footage, lava fountains covered the crater's surface, and billowing clouds of volcanic gas rose into the air. Throughout the volcano's eruptive history, the same location has been home to a massive lava lake. The eruption is totally contained within Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and is not in an area where people live. According to AP, Ken Hon, the USGS scientist in charge of the Hawaii Volcano Observatory, said, "All signals indicate that it will stay within the crater."

“There are no signs that lava is spreading towards the lower part of the east rift zone, where people live. All of the action is currently taking place within the park,” said the team, AP reported.

The alert level for the volcano has been upgraded to "warning," and the aviation code has been altered to red. Officials stated earlier on September 29 that significant seismic activity and ground swelling had been detected and the alarm levels had been elevated correspondingly.

Kilauea eruption destroyed over 700 homes in 2018

In 2018, Kilauea experienced a massive eruption that destroyed over 700 homes and displaced thousands of people. The volcano had been gently erupting for decades before then, although not in densely populated residential areas. Kilauea had been erupting since 1983, and streams of lava had periodically inundated rural farms and homes before the massive 2018 eruption. During that period, lava occasionally reached the ocean, resulting in dramatic water interactions. The exact section of the volcano that erupted on September 29 in December and lasted until May.

As the volcano fills up, Hon believes these types of eruptions will continue for years. “We do know that the magma keeps coming into Kilauea at a fairly steady rate and that it either fills the inside of the volcano and repressurises it, or it comes out to the surface,” says the scientist, as per AP reports.

(With inputs from AP)

Image: Volcanoes_NPS/Twitter