Hawaii's Kilauea volcano awakens, begins to erupt for third time in 2023
Kilauea’s eruption began around 3:15 p.m. HST Sunday after increased earthquake activity and changes in the patterns of ground deformation at Kilauea’s summit began to occur earlier in the day, according to the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory
Hawaii's Kilauea Volcano begins to erupt for third time in 2023
Hawaii's Kilauea Volcano, one of the most active in the world, has erupted again after a brief pause in activity. This is now Kilauea's third eruption this year.
HAWAII VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK – The USGS is monitoring Hawaii’s Kilauea Volcano after one of the most active volcanoes in the world began to erupt for the third time this year on Sunday.
According to the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO), Kilauea’s eruption began around 3:15 p.m. HST Sunday after increased earthquake activity and changes in ground deformation patterns at Kilauea’s summit began to occur.
Watch: Hawaii's Kilauea Volcano erupts sending lava shooting into the air
The USGS shared video of lava shooting into the air after Hawaii's Kilauea Volcano began to erupt for the third time this year on Sunday.
Webcam video and field reports indicated the eruption began within Halema’uma’u crater and on the downdropped block in Kilauea’s summit caldera within Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, according to the HVO.
The volcano’s alert level was then raised from Watch to Warning, and the aviation color code was changed from Orange to Red.
But on Monday, officials with the HVO said conditions were beginning to stabilize, and alert levels at the volcano had been changed back to a Watch while the aviation color code was changed back to Orange.
The HVO said these changes were made because the style of eruption and fissure location stabilized, the initial extremely high effusion rates declined, and no infrastructure was being threatened.
WATCH: Wind vortex tries to suck up lava from inside Hawaii's Kilauea Volcano (June 2023)
Stunning new video released by the USGS shows areas of hot, rapidly swirling air grabbing fresh lava spewing from Hawaii’s Kilauea Volcano and tossing it into the air. (June 2023)
In addition, the associated hazards from the volcano were confined to the closed area established by Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.
Officials said they expect Kilauea’s summit eruption to continue and remain confined to Kilauea’s caldera within the national park. The HVO said it doesn’t see any indications of activity migrating elsewhere on Kilauea and expects the eruption to remain confined to the summit region.
However, conditions are being continuously monitored and will report significant changes.
Geologists said Pele's hair and other lightweight volcanic glass fragments from the lava fountains were expected to fall downwind of the fissure vents and dust the ground within a few hundred yards of the vents, according to the HVO.
Kilauea last erupted in June, and its first eruption of 2023 began in January.
That eruption lasted until the beginning of March. However, that eruption was considered brief compared to previous eruptions, which lasted about three months.
How to watch Kilauea volcano erupt live
The HVO has several cameras livestreaming activity from different areas of Kilauea, which operate 24 hours a day.
The most active camera above on the USGS YouTube page shows the ongoing eruption at Halemaʻumaʻu crater.