The eruption of Hawaii’s second largest volcano is expected to attract long lines of visitors to admire this “spectacular” sight.
The active volcano Kilauea was found in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island of Hawaii and it began erupting Wednesday night for the first time in three months.
The image of the “dynamic” scene was captured by the US Geological Survey’s Hawaii Volcano Observatory after a bright trail was detected on the webcam, signaling the eruption had begun.
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park spokeswoman Jessica Ferracane confirmed that the park anticipates a lot of tourists lining up to see the event.
“This morning the view of Kilauea was breathtaking,” she said.
A spokesman for the Hawaii Volcano Observatory reported: “The early stages of eruptions are dynamic. The webcam image shows cracks in the bottom of Halemaʻumaʻu crater creating lava flows on the surface of the crater bottom.”
A red aviation warning has been issued due to ash spewing from the volcano, but there is currently no risk to the public.
The observatory’s geologist Mike Zoeller said: “We don’t currently see any signs of activity on the rift areas.”
The lake of molten red lava is 1,300 meters wide and can be seen from various points in the park.
“There are some areas where the water is quite strong. It’s really beautiful,” Ms. Ferracane said.
She is predicting that a lot of tourists will come to the park, which is open 24 hours a day.
To avoid crowds, people are encouraged to try to arrive between 9pm and sunrise, but visitors must walk on marked roads for safety purposes and avoid exposure to gas of the volcano when it erupted.
The park’s volunteer photographer, Janice Wei, caught a glimpse of the scene in the early morning hours of June 8. She said she saw about 15 lava fountains, about 46 meters high.
Kilauea last started erupting in January and continued for 61 days until it ended in March.
Meanwhile, last November, visitors to the park were able to see lava from the world’s largest volcano Mauna Loa, next to Kilauea’s lava lake.
