Hawaii’s Second-Largest Volcano Resumes Erupting
Hawaii’s Kilauea, the second-largest volcano on the island, has resumed erupting after three months of inactivity, according to the US Geological Survey. Webcams recorded glowing activity at the volcano’s summit very early in the morning. The eruption is taking place in Halema’uma’u, which is located within the crater of the volcano’s caldera.
The observatory issued an advisory on the eruption, stating that the increased seismic activity and changes in the summit’s ground deformations began Tuesday night, indicating the subsurface movement of magma. So far, all activity has been contained within a restricted area of Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island.
Alert Level Raised
Authorities have raised the alert level and altered the aviation code to red as scientists continue to assess the eruption and associated risks. Kilauea was in eruption from September 2021 until December 2021. Mauna Loa, Hawaii’s largest volcano on the Big Island, was also erupting for two weeks in December 2021 before a brief hiatus. Kilauea erupted again in January 2022 for 61 days until March.
The Devastating 2018 Eruption
In 2018, a Kilauea eruption destroyed over 700 homes. Prior to the 2018 eruption, Kilauea had occasionally erupted since 1983. The lava from these eruptions sometimes covered homes and farms. Furthermore, the lava sometimes reached the sea, creating explosive interactions with the water.
With Kilauea’s recent resurgence in activity, authorities and scientists are continuously monitoring the situation to ensure the safety of residents and visitors to the area.
