Kīlauea Volcano Begins To Erupt Again After Pause In December

Hawaiis Kīlauea volcano began erupting again Thursday after a brief pause, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, just weeks after Mauna Loa erupted for the first time in decades. Kīlauea stopped erupting in December for the first time since September 2021. On Thursday morning, officials reported increased summit earthquakes and ground deformation. A summit eruption in Halemaʻumaʻu crater began just after 4:30 p.m. HST, USGS said. As of Thursday night, the eruption was confined to the summit in a closed area of Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park, officials said. Multiple fountains were active on the crater floor, which covers nearly 300 acres, with several bursts up to 50 meters (164 feet) high. Photos shared by USGS show an open fissure spewing lava and gas within Halemaʻumaʻu crater Thursday afternoon. Additional images show multiple vents as the crater fills with pooling lava. According to the USGS, about 32 feet depth of new lava was added to the crater floor by about 7:30 p.m. According to the USGS, earthquake activity diminished with the eruption, and it has had no impact on nearby Mauna Loa, which remains quiet. Officials said the main hazard associated with the eruption is volcanic gas, and vog, or volcanic smog, which has potential health hazards. The “extremely hazardous” Kīlauea caldera rim surrounding Halemaʻumaʻu crater has been closed to the public since 2007, USGS said. In 2018, an eruption of Kīlauea forced evacuations and destroyed hundreds of homes.