[youtube]PGrRz1-OwV0[/youtube] The New Rift at Kilauea VolcanoA new fissure has opened up on Kilauea, one of the world’s most active volcanoes, spewing out lava up to 20 meters (65 feet) into the air, according to Hawaiian scientists.
The vent was first seen late on Saturday, March 5, when the Pu’u O’o crater collapsed and many small earthquakes were recorded in the area. The rift where the lava is emerging is now almost one-third of a mile long, the Associated Press reported.
There is a summit gas plume emitting sulfur dioxide at 600 tonnes per day, according to the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO).
The volcano has been in a state of constant eruption since 1983.
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park Superintendent Cindy Orlando told KHON2 that it has been a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and on Sunday morning she saw lava splatters over 100 feet high.
“It was incredible; it’s a life changing experience as you know looking at the gas and land, what’s being born and flows and fallout. It’s just an ever changing landscape and to witness that,” she said.
HVO experts have been observing the event closely. Volcanologist Janet Babb said it remains to be seen whether this new eruption will be a long-lasting episode.
“As a volcanologist, this is what we do. These are the moments we wait for,” Babb told KHON2. “It’s really hard to say how long it might last. There was a similar eruption in 1997, and that event lasted less than 24 hours.”
Due to the seismic activity, the site has been closed to the public. The HVO has installed a temporary camera which regularly provides new images of the eruption as it progresses.
The vent was first seen late on Saturday, March 5, when the Pu’u O’o crater collapsed and many small earthquakes were recorded in the area. The rift where the lava is emerging is now almost one-third of a mile long, the Associated Press reported.
There is a summit gas plume emitting sulfur dioxide at 600 tonnes per day, according to the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO).
The volcano has been in a state of constant eruption since 1983.
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park Superintendent Cindy Orlando told KHON2 that it has been a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and on Sunday morning she saw lava splatters over 100 feet high.
“It was incredible; it’s a life changing experience as you know looking at the gas and land, what’s being born and flows and fallout. It’s just an ever changing landscape and to witness that,” she said.
HVO experts have been observing the event closely. Volcanologist Janet Babb said it remains to be seen whether this new eruption will be a long-lasting episode.
“As a volcanologist, this is what we do. These are the moments we wait for,” Babb told KHON2. “It’s really hard to say how long it might last. There was a similar eruption in 1997, and that event lasted less than 24 hours.”
Due to the seismic activity, the site has been closed to the public. The HVO has installed a temporary camera which regularly provides new images of the eruption as it progresses.
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