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Kīlauea is erupting inside Halemaʻumaʻu crater again

USGS
This view from a 6:45 a.m. HST on Jan. 6 sunrise at overflight shows the eruption is confined to Halemaʻumaʻu crater in the summit caldera. Mauna Loa (not erupting) is along the horizon in the background.

Kīlauea volcano is erupting again. The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory detected a glow in Kīlauea summit webcam images late Thursday afternoon.

Officials said that indicates the eruption has resumed within Halemaʻumaʻu crater. The eruption is confined entirely within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, away from residential communities.

The U.S. Geological Survey noted that the opening phases of eruptions are dynamic, and hazards will be reassessed as the eruption progresses.

The volcano observatory elevated Kīlauea's volcano alert level from watch to warning, and its aviation color code from orange to red Thursday as this eruption and associated hazards are evaluated. The alert has since been lowered down to orange again by USGS.

Earlier in the day, the USGS raised the alert level for Kīlauea from advisory to watch due to signs that magma was moving below the summit surface, an indication that the volcano might erupt.

Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park remains open to view the Kīlauea eruption. The park recommends overlooks surrounding Kaluapele, the Kīlauea caldera, but warns that fog or rain could obstruct the view.

Vigilance is encouraged around the volcano, and closed areas are marked by rope lines and hazard signs.

While the lava lake is a powerful and popular sight to behold, avoid the peak time at sunset. If there is no parking where you want to go, visit another area or try again later. The park is open 24 hours a day.
Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park
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National Park Service
While the lava lake is a powerful and popular sight to behold, avoid the peak time at sunset. If there is no parking where you want to go, visit another area or try again later. The park is open 24 hours a day.

USGS took to Twitter on Friday to answer commonly asked questions regarding the recent eruption. When asked about the differences between Maunaloa and Kīlauea, they wrote that magma supply to Kīlauea appears to be "consistently higher than supply to Maunaloa."

They also tweeted that there is no estimate as to how long this eruption will last.

"The onsets of eruptive activity are always very chaotic, so it's impossible to identify any trends," tweeted USGS.

Kīlauea is one of the world's most active volcanoes. It last erupted for 16 months starting in September 2021.

For about two weeks starting Nov. 27, Hawaiʻi had two volcanoes spewing lava side by side when Maunaloa erupted for the first time in 38 years. Both volcanoes stopped erupting at about the same time in December.

This article will update as more information is released.

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