After a brief pause, Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano erupted again, spewing lava fountains and discharges of volcanic ashe into the air, according to officials.
The eruption started January 5, 2022 afternoon at the volcano’s crater, according to a notice issued by the United States Geological Service (GSGS).
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The agency issued an advisory for locals and cautioned the aviation industry about the dangers of airborne ash.
As of now, communities are safe since the lava from the volcano is now contained in Kilauea’s crater, a closed section of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, tweeted Hawaii’s Emergency Management Agency.
The USGS warned locals that the high quantities of volcanic fumes may still be dangerous as they travelled downstream. Elements like sulphur dioxide can combine with the environment to form volcanic smog, which is dangerous to human health.
Other dangers include Pele’s hair, which are tiny strands of drifting lava, and other delicate volcanic particles that can irritate the skin and eyes.
The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory noticed a light in photographs and later concluded that Kilauea had started erupting, according to USGS.
The volcano Kilauea is among the most active ones on the planet. It last erupted in September 2021 and continued for 16 months.
Before its most recent lull in December, Kilauea had been erupting virtually nonstop for more than a year and was the scene of a massive eruption in 2018 that destroyed hundreds of houses.
Since November 27, when Mauna Loa erupted for the first time in 38 years, Hawaii had two volcanoes spouting lava side by side. Around the same time, both volcanoes ceased to erupt. The reason behind both the volcanoes ceasing at around the same time is still unclear.
Visitors to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park were able to observe lava from both eruptions at the same time during the twin eruption.
“It was a beautiful eruption, and lots of people got to see it, and it didn’t take out any major infrastructure and most importantly, it didn’t affect anybody’s life,” Ken Hon, the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory’s scientist in charge, told Associated Press.
Volcanic eruptions have significant cultural and spiritual meanings for the native Hawaiians. Many Hawaiians participated in traditional practises during the Mauna Loa eruption, including singing, chanting and dancing in honour of Pele, the god of fire and volcanoes.