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- Lava fountains at Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano reached 1,100 feet: USGS (abcnews.go.com)
Kilauea Puts on Another Fiery Show, Spewing Lava Over 1,000 Feet High
Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano, a familiar and often spectacular sight on the Big Island, once again unleashed a dramatic display of power on Sunday morning. In what marks “Episode 36” of its current eruption series, the volcano shot lava more than 1,000 feet into the air for nearly five continuous hours.
According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, these impressive lava fountains reached heights between 1,000 and 1,100 feet at various points. The sheer volume of molten rock was so significant that it covered up to 80% of the Halemaʻumaʻu crater floor. Fortunately, the eruption remained contained within a closed section of Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park.
A “Volcano Watch,” or Code Orange, remains in effect, signaling that an eruption is either probable or actively underway, though with minimal or no ash.
This ongoing series of eruptions at Kilauea commenced on December 23, 2024, and has been characterized by notable lava fountaining, a phenomenon not observed with such intensity since the episodic eruptions of 1983-86, which marked the onset of the Puʻuʻōʻō eruption.
Prior to Sunday’s spectacle, “Episode 35” occurred on the night of October 17, concluding early the following morning. During that event, Kilauea produced the highest single fountain seen in this current eruption, with lava from the south vent soaring to 1,500 feet and the north vent reaching 1,100 feet. That episode alone generated an estimated 13 million cubic yards of lava, with an average eruption rate of 500 cubic yards per second.
Typically, these fountaining episodes last for approximately a day or less, interspersed with pauses of several days.
Residents and visitors in the vicinity are reminded of the potential hazards associated with Kilauea’s eruptions. These include elevated levels of volcanic gas, ash, pumice, scoria, reticulite, and “Pele’s hair”-fine strands of volcanic glass created by lava fountaining that can travel over 10 miles from the vent.
Volcanic fragments have been known to fall on Highway 11, west of Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park. Furthermore, instability, ground cracking, and rockfalls around the Kīlauea caldera pose additional significant risks.
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- Lava fountains at Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano reached 1,100 feet: USGS (abcnews.go.com)