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Kilauea vent figure its quaternary igneous episode on Thursday ( Jan. 16 ) , blast fountains of lava century of feet into the air and emitting thou of tons of toxic volcanic gasolene — you may determine the eruption live in the telecasting above .
The U.S. Geological Survey ( USGS ) islive - streamingthe clap on its YouTube communication channel . Thousands of people have tuned into the live stream , which focalize on the northwest rim of the caldera — the caldron - like area at the top of a volcano .
As of Jan. 16 , the outbreak remains detain to the caldera , within a qualified area of Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park . However , Kilauea volcano is bring forth eminent degree of volcanic throttle , let in sulfur dioxide ( SO₂ ) , that can have far - reaching effects windward , according to a Jan. 16 update on theUSGS web site .
" As SO₂ is endlessly released from the tiptop during an blast , it will react in the ambience to create the visible haze live as vog ( volcanic smog ) downwind of Kilauea , " USGS wrote in the update .
Other significant hazards admit Halema’uma’u crater wall imbalance , ground fracture , and rockfalls within the qualified area , according to the USGS .
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Kilauea volcanobegan erupting at 2.20 a.m. Hawaii standard time ( 7:20 a.m. EST ) on Monday ( Dec. 23 ) , agree to an update on theUSGS site . Soon after the eruption set out , Kilauea started blasting out lava and other material .
" At 4:30 a.m. , lava fountains were observed with high up to 80 m ( 262 foot ) , " USGS instance wrote . " Molten material , include lava bomb , is being exclude from the vents on the caldera base up onto the west caldera rim , within the closed country of Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park . "
Kilauea vent is one of the world ’s most active volcanoes and has erupted almost ceaselessly for more than 30 years . locate on Hawaii ’s Big Island , the vent makes up about 14 % of the island ’s state arena and rises 4,190 feet ( 1,227 meters ) above ocean level , Live Science previously report .
USGS offers various scene of the Kilauea summit throughlive webcam . In some case , the cameras are recording in places off point of accumulation to the world-wide world because they ’re insecure to visit , according to theUSGS .
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Eruption activity is presently hold in to the summit meeting region . As of 6:30 a.m. HST ( 11:30 a.m. EST ) , the clap had stabilized within the volcanic crater , and there were no threats to infrastructure .
The USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory has lowered the Kilauea ’s volcano warning signal level — from " Warning " to " Watch . " However , USGS noted that volcanic gas make by the outbreak is still a luck .
" The main fortune of concern at this time is high levels of volcanic gas which can have far - reaching effects down - breaking wind ( in the main southwest ) of the summit , " the USGS wrote .
