Amber lava exploded over 200 meters into the air as Kilauea, one of the world’s most active volcanoes, located on Hawaii’s Big Island, erupted on Thursday.
Lava fountains began to erupt from the volcano after 11 am local time, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). On Thursday evening, plumes of smoke and lava pouring downslope were observable on a livestream camera. So far, the episode has produced 3.6 million cubic yards of lava, USGS said.
The Hawaii Volcanoes national park, a popular tourist destination for those curious to spot volcanic activity, was closed on Thursday due to the eruption.
The National Park Service cautioned visitors to wear long sleeves, long pants and eye protection to minimize exposure to volcanic ash or tephra, small glassy volcanic fragments.
The National Weather Service issued an ashfall warning for the south-eastern region of the Big Island until midnight local time.
“Large foam-like tephra up to football size may fall near the summit and up to several miles downwind,” the agency wrote. Small particles of the volcanic material could cause eye and respiratory irritation.
Kilauea has erupted dozens of times since 1952, according to the US Geological Survey. The durations of past eruptions have ranged from two weeks to over a year.
A recent episode in 2018 was catastrophic, with lava flow subsuming homes and displacing residents.
Over a million guests arrive at the Hawaii Volcanoes national park annually. The area near the eruption site has been closed to the public since 2007, due to hazards like ground cracking and landslides that could give way to hot, molten material, per the USGS.
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