Hawaii: One of the world’s most active volcanoes, Kilauea on Hawaii’s Big Island, began spewing lava from the north vent Wednesday, marking the latest event in an ongoing eruption that began almost six months ago. Lava fountains reached heights of more than 330 feet, feeding multiple lava streams. Scientists with the US Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory indicated the fountains were likely to go higher.
According to Emirates News Agency, the latest event was preceded by gas-pistoning, a process in which gas accumulates at the top of a lava column within a vent. On Tuesday, this process caused the lava surface to rise or piston. Eventually, gas escaped as splatter, leading to lava being erupted and draining back into the vent.
These occurrences were happening up to 10 times an hour, but increased in intensity until a small, sustained dome fountain began feeding flows to the crater floor a day later. This marks the 25th eruptive episode since the volcano on the southeastern part of the island be
gan erupting on December 23rd. The activity has been pausing and resuming since then.
