Lava from Hawaii’s most active volcano created fountains that reached 700 feet Thursday during the latest episode of an ongoing eruption.
Kilauea began continuously releasing lava from its summit caldera inside Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on Wednesday morning after a weeklong pause, the U.S. Geological Survey said. The molten rock was contained within the park and wasn’t threatening residential areas.
The 14th episode ended Thursday afternoon after 28 hours. During the last seven hours, lava fountains were up to 600 feet high, according to the USGS’ Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.
In the early afternoon, a webcam’s livestream showed vigorous, bright-red fountains but later only showed billowing smoke. One USGS webcam captured images of rock fragments flying over the volcano’s rim.
United States Geological Survey via AP
Another stunning image captured by the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory showed whirlpool textures in the lava pond’s crustal plates, a phenomenon called lava drainback.
The volcano began its current eruption on Dec. 23. It has stopped and resumed more than a dozen times since. The shortest episode lasted 13 hours, while the longest lasted eight days.
In January, CBS affiliate KGMB reported that Kilauea put on a spectacular show with a 26-hour eruption, with live cameras showing a mixture of volcanic gas emissions and steam from the rain at the summit. A strong glow from the north vent indicated that lava remained close to the surface of the crater, scientists said.
Each time, the volcano has sent lava shooting high into the sky from caldera vents, creating a dramatic sight for park visitors.
Local families on spring break were among those gathered at various overlooks in the national park, said park spokesperson Jessica Ferracane.
“There is a lot of excitement in the air and visitors are gasping in amazement, smiling from ear to ear, and walking briskly or running from parking lots to viewpoints hoping to see” the lava activity before it waned, she said in an email shortly before the fountains ceased.
The eruption is the sixth recorded at Kilauea’s summit since 2020.
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park encompasses the summits of two of the world’s most active volcanoes: Kilauea and Mauna Loa. Kilauea also erupted in June and September 2024.
The park, on Hawaii’s Big Island, is about 200 miles south of Honolulu.
