A new vent has opened at one of the world’s most active volcanoes, sending lava shooting up to 65 feet high, scientists at Kilauea volcano said Sunday.
The massive eruption began when the floor of the Pu’u O’o crater collapsed, making way for the lava to come out. The spectacle was incredible, and according to the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, this is a very exciting moment in every scientist’s life, especially if they can see it from the very start. Although at the beginning lava receded rapidly, after the eruption which took place at around 5pm local time on Saturday, it seemed to have slowed on Sunday.
Although more than 150 small earthquakes have been recorded in the last 24 hours, no homes in the area are under threat. Furthermore, according to the scientists at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, the volcano could have erupted without a notice, thus posing a threat to the visitors or to the hikers, who were around in the area. They went on saying that lethal concentrations of sulphur dioxide gas were present in the area, but they did no harm. Given the recent eruption, the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park has closed Chain of Craters Road alongside with the entire rift zone and coastal trials, as well as the Kulanaokuaiki campground. These areas are closed until further notice.
For those who don’t know, the Kilauea Volcano has been one of the most active volcanoes in the world, given that it is continually erupting since the 3rd of January, 1983. According to scientists, pictures of the volcano can be seen at the U.S. Geological Survey’s website, where pictures are constantly uploaded, given there is a webcam which functions constantly.
You can learn more about the volcano eruption by checking out these sites:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110307/ap_on_re_us/us_hawaii_volcano_eruption
http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/