Hawaii Volcano Videos Show Lava Erupting as 'Red' Warning Issued

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) observatory in Hawaii has raised the alert level for the Kilauea volcano after it began erupting on Sunday afternoon.

The observatory raised its volcano alert from "watch" to "warning" and upgraded its aviation alert level from orange to red to warn nearby aircraft about the hazard.

The Hawaii Emergency Management Agency said on Sunday evening that, at the time, the lava was confined to the summit and "does not pose a... threat to communities," but warned that particles and gases being emitted from the eruption could cause "breathing problems for people exposed." The USGS said carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide were the primary concerns.

Officials said the volcano began its eruption at around 3:15 p.m. local time (9:15 p.m. ET) on Sunday within the Halemaʻumaʻu crater, to the east of Kilauea's summit caldera. USGS added that the eruption "was preceded by a period of strong seismicity and rapid uplift of the summit."

Footage of the eruption from a monitoring camera at the volcano, on the southern end of the island of Hawaii, the archipelago's largest island, shows fountains of lava pouring out of the volcano, releasing large amounts of gas.

As of 8:50 p.m. local time, cloaked in the cover of darkness, glowing orange fissures and lava flows can be seen spreading across the volcanic landscape as the eruption develops.

"Recent eruptions at the summit of Kilauea have started very vigorous and then decreased with time, so we don't expect that this eruption will increase greatly in vigor as it progresses," Katie Mulliken, a USGS researcher in Hawaii, told Newsweek. "The eruption is likely to remain as minor lava fountains and lava flows within the caldera."

Kilauea has been continuously active since 1983, but has erupted several times already this year, the last time between June 7-19. Among the most active volcanoes on the planet, it is thought to have emerged around 225,000 years ago, according to geological data.

Described as a shield volcano due to its low profile, it forms a hotspot in the chain of volcanic activity that runs from Hawaii to eastern Russia. Despite being located in the center of the Pacific tectonic plate, scientists believe the volcanic activity is caused by a moving plume in the Earth's mantle which ultimately created the Hawaiian islands.

The USGS warned that the latest eruption could emit Pele's hair—thin strands of volcanic glass named after the Hawaiian goddess of volcanoes—and other fragments into the air, which can cause skin and eye irritations.

"Other significant hazards also remain around Kilauea caldera from Halemaʻumaʻu crater wall instability, ground cracking, and rockfalls that can be enhanced by earthquakes," it added, noting that the area has been closed to the public since 2007.

A "red" alert level means geologists think that an eruption is "imminent" with a "significant emission of volcanic ash into the atmosphere likely." It stressed, though, that the activity was currently confined to the national park in which the volcano sits.

"There was a summit collapse event in 2018, which formed the 'downdropped block' that the eruption is partially occurring on," Mulliken explained. "Several eruptions since 2018 have only filled about 25 percent of the volume that collapsed in 2018, so there is still a fair amount to fill before lava flows encroach on the rest of the caldera."

The USGS said that, as sulfur dioxide is released from Kilauea, "it will react in the atmosphere to create the visible haze known as vog (volcanic smog) downwind of Kīlauea."

How to Watch Live Webcam of Kilauea Volcano Eruption

The USGS in Hawaii has provided a live stream from its monitoring camera, positioned on the northwest rim of the Halemaʻumaʻu caldera and looking east, which can be viewed here.

Update 09/11/23, 4:53 a.m. ET: This article was updated to include further details.

Update 09/20/23, 2:46 a.m. ET: This article was updated to include comment from Katie Mulliken of the USGS.