Kilauea volcano, home of Pele, the Hawaiian volcano goddess, is erupting. The US Geological Survey announced that the volcano began erupting on Wednesday, just hours after an eruption watch was issued.
#Kilauea is currently coming out of the #Halemaumau summit crater HVO will post an update soon. The USGS live stream shows the action. #Hawaii #wash #eruption pic.twitter.com/ouummDrAs8
— USGS Volcanoes🌋 (@USGSVolcanoes) June 7, 2023
The USGS said the eruption was noticed shortly before 4:45 a.m. local time on Wednesday when the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory “detected a glow in webcam images from the summit of Kīlauea.” These images showed that the eruption began inside the volcano’s Halema’uma’u crater.
“Webcam images show fissures at the base of Halema’uma’u crater that are generating lava flows on the surface of the crater floor,” the agency said. “Activity is limited to Halema’uma’u and hazards will be reassessed as the eruption progresses.”
The Hawaii Emergency Management Agency says there is currently “no indication that populated areas are threatened.”
See the start of Kilauea’s eruption, captured live
Live video footage of the eruption shows lava flowing through the crater and with large bubbling bursts. A live stream of the volcano of the USGS captured the dramatic onset of the eruption, which began before dawn. The video shows glowing lava breaking the surface of the crater, spewing into the air accompanied by clouds of ash.
Halemaʻumaʻu Crater on Kīlauea Volcano is erupting. Watch the live stream now! pic.twitter.com/zjmB01MLMw
— USGS (@USGS) June 7, 2023
What happens during the Kilauea volcano eruption?
Kilauea has several exploded several times in recent years. The latest eruption began in the afternoon of January 5 and did not stop until March 7. Before that, the volcano had intermittent eruptions September 2021 to March 2022, according to the USGS. The worst eruption derived from this volcano was the Mount Eruptionwhich lasted 35 years, from 1983 to 2018. It ended when the crater floor and lava lake of Pu’u’ō’ō’, a cone on the eastern side of the volcano, “catastrophically collapsed” .
For now, the most recent eruption is “within a closed area” of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, the USGS said, and “there is no indication of migrant activity” off the summit. In the agency’s latest update, it was reported that there are multiple active lava fountains rising 13 to 30 feet high and at least one fissure. There are between 3 and 6 feet of raised lava around the perimeter of the crater floor.
While the lava is contained, the USGS said volcanic gas emissions in the area are high, with about 65,000 tons of sulfur dioxide being emitted per day.
Residents have been urged to reduce their exposure and stay indoors or wear masks as the biggest concern is high levels of volcanic gas.
The @NWSHonolulu reports that Kilauea’s eruption may result in “very light ash fall” in the Puna, Kau and South Kona districts of Hawaii Island until at least 6:00 PM HST Wednesday. Volcanic gas, ash and glass can cause or worsen respiratory problems and irritate the eyes. 1/2 pic.twitter.com/wWgZRaLk7U
— Hawaii EMA (@Hawaii_EMA) June 7, 2023
“This hazard can have far-reaching effects with wind,” the service said, as large amounts of water vapor, carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide are “continuously released” during an eruption. Sulfur dioxide specifically will contribute to volcanic smog, known as vog, which creates a visible haze. This has already been observed below the volcano.
Thin glass fibers formed by gas during an eruption, known as Pelé’s hair, also pose a risk and have been seen dusting the town of Pāhala, about 20 miles below the summit. These threads form when gas bubbles erupt near the surface of lava and stretch the skin of that lava into long threads that can be up to “a couple of feet long,” according to the Park Service nationals
“Because these threads are so light, they can pass through the air and be carried by the wind,” the service says. “… Although they are fragile and brittle, they are also sharp. As tiny pieces of glass, they can stick in human skin and, much worse, in the eyes. Care must be taken around the fibers to avoid injury by the splinters”.
The fibers are named after Pele, Hawaii’s goddess of volcanoes, who the NPS describes as “embodied by lava and the natural forces associated with volcanic eruptions.” Native Hawaiians believe that he made his permanent home in Kilauea’s Halema’uma’u Crater.
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Li Cohen
