A Hawaiian volcano is erupting. See videos of the eruption

Hannah Murdock
·2 min read
In this webcam image provided by the U.S. Geological Survey, an eruption takes place on the summit of the Kilauea volcano in Hawaii, Wednesday, June 7, 2023. Kilauea, the second largest volcano in Hawaii, began erupting Wednesday morning, officials with the U.S. Geological Survey said in a statement.
In this webcam image provided by the U.S. Geological Survey, an eruption takes place on the summit of the Kilauea volcano in Hawaii, Wednesday, June 7, 2023. Kilauea, the second largest volcano in Hawaii, began erupting Wednesday morning, officials with the U.S. Geological Survey said in a statement. | U.S. Geological Survey via Associated Press

A volcano in Hawaii is erupting for the second time this year following three months of inactivity.

Kilauea, which The Washington Post called “one of the world’s most active volcanoes,” began erupting Wednesday morning at Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. So far, all of the volcanic activity has remained within a a closed area of the park.

Experts, however, are warning of the possible dangers of the explosion.

Experts warn about the dangers of ‘vog’

The U.S. Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory issued an alert that was raised to “warning” status Wednesday and an aviation color code “red.”

“High levels of volcanic gas are the primary hazard of concern, as this hazard can have far-reaching effects down-wind,” the warning reads. The volcanic gas released includes sulfur dioxide, which reacts with the atmosphere to create a haze called “vog” or volcanic smog.

“Vog creates the potential for airborne health hazards to residents and visitors, damages agricultural crops and other plants, and affects livestock,” according to the USGS.

Past Kilauea eruptions

Kilauea, Hawaii’s second biggest volcano, previously began erupting in January of this year and continued erupting for 61 days before it ended in March, according to The Associated Press.

Before that, it had erupted from September 2021 to December 2022. In fact, the volcano has erupted “dozens of times over the past seven decades,” per the Post.

In 2018, a major eruption from Kilauea destroyed over 700 homes.

Videos of the eruption

The USGS posted a video of the eruption captured by geologists at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.

“This clip is from the west rim of the crater at approximately 6 a.m. HST,” the tweet reads. “Telephoto view shows multiple active vent sources and lava flooding the crater floor.”

The New York Times also posted footage of the eruption, showing the fiery lava inside the volcano’s crater.

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