Eruption With Lava Flow At Kilauea Volcano In Hawai’i

Lava fountains from the bottom of the deep pit crater in Kilauea’s Halema’uma crater, from the west rim of the collapse crater (image: HVO)

A new eruption started at Kilauea volcano in the evening of 20 Dec in Hawaii (local time). The volcano observatory reported:

“Shortly after approximately 9:30 p.m. HST, the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) detected glow within Halemaʻumaʻu crater at the summit of Kīlauea Volcano. An eruption has commenced within Kīlauea’s summit caldera. The situation is rapidly evolving and HVO will issue another statement when more information is available.”

During the past weeks, earthquakes had been more frequent under the caldera and the upper rift zone. They likely reflected magma intrusions at shallow level.

Shortly after the new eruption, observed less than two hours ago, a magnitude 4.3 quake struck the southern flank of the volcano, about 10 miles west of Kalapana. This quake might be related as a response to the new eruption, probably causing a small southwards movement of the southern flank of Kilauea, acting as adjustment for the additional space needed of the magma intrusion in the summit area.

Courtesy of volcanodiscovery.com

https://tinyurl.com/jc6svx3

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