Kīlauea Eruption Contained to Halemaʻumaʻu Crater
USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) has decreased Kīlauea’s volcano alert level to “watch” and its aviation color code to orange, reflecting the less-hazardous nature of the ongoing eruption.
Kīlauea began to erupt Sunday evening. At approximately 9:30 p.m., HVO detected a glow within Halemaʻumaʻu crater at the summit of the volcano, indicating that an eruption had commenced within Kīlauea’s summit caldera.
#Kilauea2020 #Lava cascades from a vent in the wall of #Halemaʻumaʻu around midnight on Dec 20. The water lake has boiled away and 3 vents are generating lava flows that are contributing to a growing lava lake. Eruption is confined to Halemaʻumaʻu crater (#Kīlauea's summit). pic.twitter.com/KdQUnMS7bn
— USGS Volcanoes🌋 (@USGSVolcanoes) December 21, 2020
The water lake at the summit of Kīlauea has boiled away and an effusive eruption has commenced, with three vents in the wall of Halemaʻumaʻu crater generating lava flows that are contributing to a growing lava lake at the base of Halemaʻumaʻu crater. The eruption is currently confined to the Halemaʻumaʻu crater.
HVO is in constant communication with Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park as this situation evolves. The eruption is currently taking place entirely within the park.
HVO is in constant communication with the County of Hawai‘i Civil Defense Agency.