Honolulu (AP) — The U.S. Geological Survey reported that less than a month after the volcano and its larger neighbor Mauna Loa ceased producing lava, Hawaii’s Kilauea started erupting inside its summit crater.
The agency said that Kilauea had reportedly started erupting inside Halemaumau crater, the volcano’s summit caldera, when the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory observed a glow in webcam photographs.
Kilauea’s summit is far from populated areas, inside Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.
The U.S. Geological Survey increased the alert level for Kilauea earlier on Thursday due to indications that magma was flowing beneath the summit surface and the volcano may erupt.
One of the most volcanoes on the planet is Kilauea. It last erupted in September 2021 and continued for 16 months. On November 27, When Mauna Loa erupted for the first time in 38 years, Hawaii experienced two volcanoes spouting lava side by side for roughly two weeks. Around the same time, the eruptions from both volcanoes ceased.
Visitors to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park were to observe lava from both eruptions at the same time during the twin eruption.
According to Ken Hon, the scientist at the head of the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, “It was a beautiful eruption, and many people got to see it, and it didn’t wipe down any big infrastructure, and most importantly, it didn’t affect anybody’s life.”
While the lava from Mauna Loa didn’t threaten any towns, it did come within 1.7 miles (2.7 kilometers) of the main road that connects the island’s east and west sides. More than 700 homes were destroyed during the 2018 Kilauea eruption.
The observatory intended to keep checking the volcanoes for indications of increased activity. Hon previously stated that it typically takes three months for an eruption to “cool off” before experts declare it over.
It remained unknown what would have caused the volcanoes to cease erupting at roughly the same time. In Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, close to Kilauea’s caldera, the volcanoes can be observed simultaneously from a number of locations.
Hon earlier stated that scientists intended to examine data to study the connection between the two volcanoes.
Volcanic eruptions have significant cultural and spiritual meanings for the native Hawaiians. Many Hawaiians participated in traditional practices during the Mauna Loa eruption, including singing, chanting, and dancing in honor of Pele, the goddess of fire and volcanoes, and leaving “hookupu” offerings.
