Mount Kilauea Erupts

Hawaii’s Mount Kilauea erupted at approximately 3:20 p.m. HST, September 29, 2021. Gas emissions and seismic activities near the area surrounding the volcano remain elevated, causing the alert level to become “warning”, and changing the aviation code to red. Officials have said they detected a significant increase in, earthquake activity and ground swelling, raising the level accordingly. 

In 2018, there was a major eruption which destroyed thousands of homes and displaced many residents. Over the course of four months, in 2018, Kilauea created enough lava to bury an area half the size of Manhattan in hardened magma and fill 320,000 Olympic swimming pools. The molten rock reduced landmarks, streets and neighborhoods to large fields of hardened rock with feet of ash compiled on top. Currently, the eruption has not reached local areas, curbing some panic; However, if Kilauea continues to remain active, it’s possible that we could see business closures and evacuations in the danger zone. 

Scientists are also taking pictures and recording the flow of magma to determine when citizens may be in danger. So far, all signs indicate that the magma will stay within the crater, but several precautionary measures are being taken. According to expert Ken Hon, these eruptions could continue for years, since the volcano is still filling up with magma at a fast rate. 

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is still open and visitors are welcome, yet there is a high risk factor due to the ash and toxic gases in the atmosphere. Although a rare opportunity, visitors must remember to be careful while viewing this site, so they can ensure others are safe, especially during the pandemic.