Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano, one of the world’s most active volcanoes, woke up on Monday. USGS video shows lava spewing into the air and pooling around the eruption site.
HILO, Hawaii – A swarm of earthquakes rocked Hawaii’s Big Island late Sunday night, part of a pattern that has continued since 2019.
The U.S. Geological Survey reported that a magnitude 4.3 earthquake struck about 1 mile west-southwest of Pahala, Hawaii, just after 11 p.m. local time. No injuries or structural damage were reported. The quake triggered four aftershocks in the same area, followed just 15 minutes later by a magnitude 3.7 quake, according to the USGS.
The earthquake occurred during an eruption at Kilauea Volcano, just 42 miles north of Pahala.
What happens before a volcano erupts?
On December 29th, the fountain at the summit of Kilauea increased in force (Hawaii Volcano Observatory/USGS).
Sunday’s earthquake did not affect Kilauea or Mauna Loa, the world’s largest active volcanoes, the USGS Hawaii Volcano Observatory said.
The first magnitude 4.3 quake was recorded about 30 kilometers below the surface and was felt as far away as Oahu, according to the USGS.
The agency said further aftershocks were possible in the coming days and weeks.
Pahala experienced an earthquake of similar magnitude last November, and deep seismic activity has continued in the area since 2019, according to the USGS.
Police say a toddler nearly fell off a cliff while visiting the erupting Kilauea volcano in Hawaii.
Kilauea continues to erupt after last week’s eruption
These earthquakes did not affect Kilauea, one of the world’s most active volcanoes, which has been erupting intermittently since Dec. 23.
The intensity of these so-called “lava plumes” weakened within days of the initial eruption, then became stronger, according to the latest information from the Hawaii Volcano Observatory.
These eruptions are currently confined to the crater, according to webcam observations by USGS scientists.
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park has warned visitors about dangerous volcanic gases released by the eruption. The combination of sulfur and carbon dioxide, known as vogue, is carried by the wind and can affect communities not directly adjacent to Kilauea.
Parts of the park are closed.
What is VOG?
This is the sixth eruption within Kilauea caldera since 2020. According to the USGS, these eruptions in the summit area have lasted anywhere from about a week to more than a year.
Kilauea has been erupting continuously since 1983.
