Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano resumes dazzling lava show

Lava from Hawaii’s most active volcano has created fountains that reached up to 700ft during the latest episode of an ongoing eruption.

Kilauea began continuously releasing lava from its summit caldera inside Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on Wednesday morning after a week-long pause, the US Geological Survey said.

The molten rock was contained within the park and was not threatening residential areas.

Large fountains reached heights up to 700ft on Thursday morning, the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said.

The volcano began its current eruption on December 23, and has stopped and resumed more than a dozen times since.

The shortest episode lasted 13 hours, while the longest was eight days.

Each time, the volcano has sent lava shooting high into the sky from caldera vents, creating a dramatic sight for park visitors.

The eruption is the sixth recorded at Kilauea’s summit since 2020.

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park encompasses the summits of two of the world’s most active volcanoes: Kilauea and Mauna Loa. Kilauea also erupted in June and September last year.

The park, on Hawaii’s Big Island, is about 200 miles south of Honolulu.