USGS: Lower East Rift Zone Fissures Continue Erupting

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) reports that the Lower East Rift Zone continues to erupt.

This video shows spattering at fissure 18, Kīlauea Volcano’s Lower East Rift Zone, at approximately 2 a.m on May 16, 2018. The audio captures the sounds of explosions and burning vegetation.

USGS Photo of Lava spattering area from an area between fissures 16 and 20 photographed at 8:20 a.m. Wednesday, May 16, 2018.

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Same area between fissures 16 and 20 at 9:33 a.m. By the time geologists reached the site on foot, the spattering had died down and they were only hearing gas rushing sounds.

View uprift from the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory overflight this morning at 8:25 a.m. Note sulfur dioxide plumes rising from the fissures along the rift and accumulating in the cloud deck. Winds are calm today.