The US Geological Survey reported that Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano began erupting inside its summit crater on Thursday, less than a month after the volcano and its larger neighbor Mauna Loa ceased releasing lava.
According to the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, a glow in webcam images indicated that Kilauea had begun erupting inside Halemaumau crater at the volcano’s summit caldera.
Kilauea’s summit is located within Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, away from residential areas.
The US Geological Survey raised the alert level for Kilauea earlier Thursday due to signs that magma was moving beneath the summit surface, indicating that the volcano might erupt.
Kilauea is one of the most active volcanoes on the planet. It last erupted in September 2021, lasting 16 months. Beginning on November 27, Hawaii had two volcanoes spewing lava side by side when Mauna Loa erupted for the first time in 38 years. Both volcanoes ceased to erupt around the same time.