“It is completely confined to Halemaumau,” Hon explained. “Lava is basically flooding the bottom of Halemaumau at this time but there is no real high fountaining that can be seen outside of the caldera.”
Timelapse of the new summit eruption on Kīlauea volcano.https://t.co/Gb5IDeQTjn
NPS Video/J.Wei pic.twitter.com/f2a7ZSWEIe
— Hawaii Volcanoes NPS (@Volcanoes_NPS) September 30, 2021
Volcanoes National Park prepares for crowds
Hawaiian Volcanoes National Park spokeswoman Jessica Ferracane said the park service was already seeing a rush of spectators on Wednesday evening. And it was anticipated that big crowds would be on-hand to see the spectacle.
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park protects some of the most unique geological, biological landscapes in the world. The park encompasses both the Kilauea and Mauna Loa volcanoes, which are said to be some of the most active in the world.
The park is open 24/7, but Ferracane urged visitors to “recreate responsibly. We’re excited, but we’re also cautious,” she said.
Visitors are packing the park to see the night sky light up.
2018 eruption left widespread damage
Hon said it’s not clear how long the eruption will last. But he added that in the past 60 years it has been observed that eruptions within the caldera usually last less than a year.
