At 9:26 am local time on March 19th, Kilauea volcano in Hawaii, USA erupted again. The eruption began at the north vent of the southwestern part of the volcano, and at 9:50 am, a small-scale degassing lava flow also began to surge at the south vent. However, the lava flow at the Nantong wind outlet stopped around 10:35. At the north wind vent, lava fountains intermittently appear, with backflow occurring every 5 to 10 minutes. In a 200 by 150 foot lava pool, the highest fountain can reach 30 feet, and each backflow causes the lava pool to drop by about 5 to 10 feet.
Kilauea Volcano is one of the most active volcanoes in the world, located in Hawaii Volcano National Park, with geographic coordinates of 19.43 ° N, 155.29 ° W, and an elevation of 1222 meters. Its formation is related to hotspots on the Pacific Plate. The volcano has diverse terrain and a humid climate. Since January 1983, it has entered a long-term eruption state. During the Holocene, Kilauea volcano experienced a total of 96 eruptions, of which 6 had a VEI level greater than 2. The earliest recorded eruption can be traced back to 1820. For a long time, its mountaintop and sides have frequently erupted lava flows, and there was also lava lake activity that lasted until 1924. The basaltic lava flow that erupted has strong destructive power. In the 2018 eruption, more than 700 residential buildings were destroyed, about 10000 people were forcibly evacuated, and a 6.9-magnitude earthquake was triggered, with lava flowing into residential areas and volcanic ash columns reaching over 9100 meters. A cruise ship was also hit by splashing lava, causing 23 injuries, including 1 serious injury.
This eruption is another activity since the eruption of the mountaintop volcano began on December 23, 2024. In the past two months, the volcano has erupted 12 times. According to the Hawaii Volcano Observatory, based on the expansion trend of the mountaintop, the magma chamber was replenished after the 13th eruption last week, and the next phase of this eruption activity may begin at any time between March 19th and 22nd. As the eruption continues and increases in intensity, hazards such as sulfur dioxide emissions are expected to significantly rise, potentially causing more volcanic smoke to drift into the distance, and volcanic ash and other substances produced by fountain activity to spread for miles with the wind. The Hawaii Volcano Observatory is closely monitoring the Kilauea volcano and maintaining contact with the Hawaii Volcano National Park and Hawaii County Civil Defense Department to respond to the hazards caused by the eruption.
(Editer：admin)
