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Kīlauea Volcano Erupts At Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park

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By Kurt Repanshek - June 7th, 2023


The Kīlauea volcano at Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park burst into an eruption Wednesday morning/USGS

The Kīlauea volcano at Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park burst into a violent eruption shortly before dawn Wednesday.

"The opening phases of eruptions are dynamic," the U.S. Geological Survey reported. "Webcam imagery shows fissures at the base of Halemaʻumaʻu crater generating lava flows on the surface of the crater floor. The activity is confined to Halemaʻumaʻu and the hazards will be reassessed as the eruption progresses."

Around 4:45 a.m. local time Wednesday the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory detected glow in  Kīlauea  summit webcam images.

"The eruption at  Kīlauea’s  summit is occurring within a closed area of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park. Therefore, high levels of volcanic gas are the primary hazard of concern, as this hazard can have far-reaching  effects downwind," said a report from the observatory. "Large amounts of volcanic gas—primarily water vapor (H2O), carbon dioxide (CO2), and sulfur dioxide (SO2)—are continuously released during eruptions of  Kīlauea  volcano.

"Additional hazards include Pele's hair and other lightweight volcanic glass fragments from the lava fountains that will fall downwind of the fissure vents and dust the ground within a few hundred meters (yards) of the vent (s). Strong winds may waft lighter particles to greater distances."

Kīlauea had been quiet since March 7, when a three-month-long eruption that began January 5 came to an end. The volcano, which erupted for months back in 2018, came to life in late September 2021 and continued erupting until December 9, 2022. The neighboring Mauna Loa volcano, which in November had begun erupting after a nearly 40-year break, stopped on December 10.

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