(Cupventi.com) – The United States Geological Survey (USGS) captured a remarkable display of natural power and vigor as the Kilauea volcano erupted on video this Monday. This eruption, which saw molten lava forcefully emanating from the Halemaumau crater on Hawaii’s Big Island, marks the third such event to occur this year.
The USGS shared this awe-inspiring footage in a somber social media post, stating, “Observe as a powerful surge of lava emerges from a location where gases are being released in the eastern part of the Halemaʻumaʻu crater.”
On that very Monday, the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) decided to downgrade the alert level for Kilauea from “Warning/Red” to “Watch/Orange.” According to the USGS, Kilauea’s eruption commenced at 3:13 p.m. HST on Sunday, prompted by an uptick in seismic activity and noticeable alterations in the earth’s surface deformation patterns at the summit.
Officials are reassured that the ongoing eruption will remain contained within the boundaries of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, without venturing beyond the caldera. The HVO, monitoring other sections of Kilauea, reports no noticeable changes in activity and anticipates that the eruption will remain confined to the summit area. They maintain a continuous watch on Kilauea through multiple cameras broadcasting live footage around the clock.
Among these cameras, the most active one, featured on the USGS YouTube page, provides a constant view of the ongoing eruption at Halemaʻumaʻu crater.