Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano has erupted, spewing hot lava hundreds of feet into the sky, and triggering health warnings for those near the area.
The September 2 eruption was captured on video, in an event the US Geological Survey (USGS) called Episode 32.
It’s the 32nd burst of volcanic activity in Kilauea’s ongoing eruption cycle that started in December 2024 at Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park.
The latest lava blast started early Tuesday morning and lasted over 13 hours before suddenly stopping at 2:01am ET (8:01pm in Hawaii).
During that time, lava shot up as high as 500 feet into the air, with the smoky cloud rising up to 10,000 feet above Hawaii’s Big Island.
This eruption produced a huge amount of lava, covering 40 to 50 percent of the bowl-shaped crater at the summit of Kilauea called Halemaʻumaʻu.
While the eruption did not pose an immediate danger to the residents of Hawaii, USGS warned that volcanic gas and tiny shards of lava could travel for miles and potentially cause harm.
The volcanic gas creates a hazy smog called vog, which might cause breathing problems if you’re nearby or in an area where the smoke is blown towards.
Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano (pictured) erupted for over 13 hours on September 2. It was the 32nd lava flow dating back to December 2024
USGS officials warned that a volcanic smog, called vog, could cause respiratory issues for people in the area
‘High levels of volcanic gas—primarily water vapor (H2O), carbon dioxide (CO2), and sulfur dioxide (SO2)—are one hazard of concern, as this hazard can have far-reaching effects downwind,’ USGS warned in a statement Tuesday.
Sulfur dioxide continuously released from the summit during eruptions reacts in the atmosphere to create the vog.
Breathing in large amounts of SO2 and vog can cause respiratory issues and other health problems, including headaches, sore throats, skin irritation, and potentially exacerbate serious conditions like heart disease.
After the eruption stopped, the gas coming out of Kilauea dropped significantly, but the levels were very high while the lava was flowing, pumping out over 50,000 tons of vog during the day.
Another concern is ‘Pele’s hair,’ which are thin, glass-like strands of lava that can float over 10 miles from the eruption, contaminating drinking water and irritating skin or eyes if touched.
The ‘hair’ was named after the Hawaiian goddess of fire and volcanoes. These strands actually look like golden or brownish hair and are as fine as spider webs, often stretching several inches to a foot long.
USGS advised those on the Big Island (Hawaii Island) to avoid the area around the national park and check local wind conditions.
The volcano alert has been set to ‘watch’ level, meaning it’s active but not an emergency.
Pele’s hair (pictured) is also released from the eruption and it can contaminate drinking water or irritate the skin if touched (Stock Image)
The lava from Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano (pictured) shot up to 500 feet in the air during the September 2 eruption
Kilauea has been one of the most active volcanoes on Earth, and the most active among the five volcanos that together form the Big Island.
Previous eruptions in this current cycle have lasted between 13 hours and eight days, with brief pauses in between.
People have been flocking to overlook sites inside the national park for views of the eruption.
The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory has also hosted a livestream of Kilauea’s eruptions.
The volcano is between 210,000 and 280,000 years old, but it did not grow above sea level until roughly 100,000 years ago.
The longest and most destructive recorded eruption from Kilauea lasted from January 1983 to April 2018 and caused significant property damage, including the destruction of two towns in 1990 and a renowned black sand beach.
Kilauea overlaps with the eastern side of the largest volcano on Earth, the nearly 14,000-foot-tall Mauna Loa.
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