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Lava Spews And Flows Like River At Active Kilauea Volcano In Hawaii

This is the moment lava spews and flows like a river at the active Kilauea volcano in Hawaii.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) shared the images on social media with the title ‘Recent activity at Kilauea summit – February 1, 2022’.

The USGS said: “These video clips show recent activity at the lava lake in Halema‘uma‘u crater, at the summit of Kilauea. Lava upwelling at the western vent flows into the lake, where bubbling is commonly present. In the eastern portion of the crater, a steep spatter cone has produced vigorous spattering and small lava flows.”

The western part of Kilauea’s current summit eruption shows the active part of the lava lake in the Halemaumau crater in Hawaii in the United States on the 1st of February 2022. (USGS, D. Downs/Newsflash)

On its website, the USGS stated: “An eruption at Kilauea’s summit began at approximately 3:20 p.m. HST on September 29, 2021. Lava activity is currently confined within Halema‘uma‘u crater, in the closed area of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park.

“HVO scientists collect detailed data to assess hazards and understand how the eruption is evolving at Kilauea’s summit, all of which are shared with the National Park Service and emergency managers.

“Access to this hazardous area is by permission from, and in coordination with, Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park.

The small 20-meter (66 foot)-wide pond to the north of the west vent in the Halemaumau crater in Hawaii in the United States on the 1st of February 2022. (USGS, D. Downs/Newsflash)

On 3rd February, USGS said: “Kilauea’s summit glow comes and goes frequently these days. This is due to a pattern of pauses in lava lake activity within Halema‘uma‘u crater over the last two and a half months. Cycles last several days to a week and consist of a couple days of visible lava lake activity, followed by one to three days without lava.

“HVO is monitoring four main data streams to help us understand why Kilauea is exhibiting this behavior.

“Tilt data records ground deformation of the volcano and is thought to reflect the pressurization level of Kilauea’s shallow summit magma chamber. Kilauea’s summit region has remained relatively flat since mid-October, but superimposed on the flat signal are small, pronounced deflation/inflation events. This is the first monitoring signal to show change when the cycle is beginning.”

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