The Kilauea volcano in Hawaii, one of the most active volcanoes, began erupting on Wednesday morning, the country's Volcano Observatory said, as per a report in CNN.
They said in a statement, "At approximately 4:44 a.m. HST on June 7, 2023, the (US Geological Survey's) Hawaiian Volcano Observatory detected glow in Kilauea summit webcam images indicating that an eruption has commenced within Halema'uma'u crater in Kilauea's summit caldera, within Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. The opening phases of eruptions are dynamic. Webcam imagery shows fissures at the base of Halema'uma'u crater generating lava flows on the surface of the crater floor. The activity is confined to Halema'uma'u and the hazards will be reassessed as the eruption progresses."
The current eruption is restricted to the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. According to the observatory, it has "constant communication" with park authorities.
A timelapse video showing the onset of the eruption as lava fills a volcanic crater is going viral on the internet. The video was shared by Hawaii Volcanoes National Park a few hours ago and has amassed five thousand views and 687 likes.
They said in the caption, "During the early stages of the eruption lava fountains soared as high as 15 meters (50 feet) on the regular, with bursts shooting up to a whopping 60 meters (200 feet)! In just three hours, the lower-section of the crater was filled to the brim with lava, reaching an impressive depth of 10 meters (33 feet). The lava lake covered a massive area of approximately 370 acres (150 hectares) on the crater floor."
Further, the National Park informed that a sulfur dioxide emission rate of around 65,000 tonnes per day was measured in the morning. "As time passed, the fountain heights gradually decreased and are now ranging from 4 to 9 meters (13 to 30 feet) high. It's still a sight to behold!" they concluded.
"Absolutely beautiful. So glad to see her back!" said a user.
"Wow, how good that we saw the amazing lava action on that great holiday!" said another person.
A third person said, "Wild. Kilauea is erupting once again."
"Artistic nature dazzles again," added another user.
