Hawaii's Kīlauea Volcano Erupts as New Lake of Lava Forms

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, the home to Kīlauea, has a pretty incredible monitoring system in place, given, you know, it’s home to an active volcano. Webcams around Halemaʻumaʻu Crater give virtual visitors an incredible view of the landscape, and scientists regularly keep an eye on the live footage to see what’s happening. Those cams captured Wednesday’s eruption.

The gif above shows the sudden transformation of the crater. In its update on the eruption, the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said it “detected glow in Kīlauea summit webcam images indicating that an eruption has commenced” around 3:20 p.m. local time. Fissures formed in the cap of black volcanic rock covering the lake, and a smoldering cauldron of lava appeared shortly after.

Photos from the rim of the crater captured shortly after the eruption began show that the lava lake wasn’t just bubbling up from below. Fissures also opened on the crater’s flanks, sending lava streaming downslope into the growing lake.

The lake rose to a stunning 770 feet (235 meters) in just a few short hours. Another spurt of activity overnight now has the lake standing at roughly 800 feet (243 meters) in depth.

The area of the park where the eruption is occurring is currently closed to visitors, so you’ll have to experience it vicariously through scientists’ observations. It’s best to leave the up-close-and-personal interactions with the volcano to trained professionals.

“Therefore, high levels of volcanic gas are the primary hazard of concern, as this hazard can have far-reaching effects down-wind,” Hawaiian Volcano Observatory warned. Among the biggest risks is what’s bizarrely known as “vog.” The phenomenon occurs when sulfur dioxide, a commonly occurring gas in volcanic eruptions, interacts with the air to create a toxic haze called vog (volcanic fog, get it?).

“ Vog creates the potential for airborne health hazards to residents and visitors, damages agricultural crops and other plants, and affects livestock,” the observatory explained. For those living in the vicinity of Kīlauea, it could become a bigger concern as the eruption goes on.

Scientists have also documented tephra, a catch-all term for volcanic projectiles. That can include cinders, pumice, and Pele’s hair, a term for strands of volcanic glass fibers that look like hair and are named after the Hawaiian goddess of volcanoes. All are dangerous and can cause serious injuries and respiratory issues.

The new lava lake has filled most of the crater. Hawaiian Volcano Observatory has what’s known as an F1 cam to measure how hot things are in the lake. It shows that molten rock has reached temperatures greater than 1,110 degrees Fahrenheit (600 degrees Celsius). The relatively “cool” area seen in the center of the lake is an island of hardened lava. Temperatures are merely around 212 degrees Fahrenheit (100 degrees Celsius) there. Hot enough to boil water. No big deal.

Kīlauea is no stranger to eruptions. Halemaʻumaʻu Crater was actually home to a water lake that formed last May. It stayed there until December 2020, when an eruption of lava evaporated the lake. In its place, a lava lake formed. A black cap of rock eventually formed over the top of the lake, and activity died down in May 2021. But now the glowing lava is back once again.

The volcano had a much more serious eruption in 2018, affecting what’s known as the East Rift Zone. The eruption also saw the disappearance of the volcano’s lava lake as fissures opened on its flanks. Lava ended up destroying portions of communities on in the East Rift Zone and piling up some 900 feet (274 meters) thick in a few locations. The 2018 eruption was Kīlauea’s biggest in 200 years.

As the sun comes up in Hawaii, it’s clear Kīlauea is still quite active. But the eruption should likely remain fairly contained.

“All signs indicate that it will stay within the crater,” Ken Hon, the USGS scientist in charge of Hawaii Volcano Observatory, told the AP. “We’re not seeing any indications that lava is moving into the lower part of the east rift zone where people live. Currently all the activity is within the park.”