Hawaii's Kilauea volcano erupts in places after 50 years. What we know so far

The Volcano Alert Level for Hawaii's Kilauea volcano was raised from watch to warning at a sudden notice, as it began erupting after a five decade long gap. The Aviator Color Code in the region changed from orange to red, based on the severity of the eruption, that began at 6.30 am (ET), according to a Fox Weather report.

Alert levels in the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park have been raised in the early hours on Monday while the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO), which earlier placed the Kīlauea volcano under observation levels, has now upped the ante and gone on full alert mode.

Entire area being monitored through webcams, say authorities

The volcano did not erupt in nearly fifty years, according to Fox Weather's report but began showing the first signs of eruption within the National Park premises, nearly a mile south of Kīlauea caldera, north of the Koa’e and Hilina Pali Road. The volcanic glow was observed through monitoring devices like webcams around the National Park premises, indicating that the lava is flowing out from a rather dormant volcano that has not seen eruption for the last 50 years, the last one seen in December, 1974, according to reports.

Chances of toxic fumes exposing into the region

The HVO is currently monitoring the area minutely and will be providing real-time updates regarding the volcanic activity in the region. Meanwhile, there are fears of toxic volcanic gas being released in the atmosphere due to this sudden eruption, that can have long-standing effects. There are chances of airborne health hazards to locals and visitors in the area, along with chances of undue damage to crops and animals in this region, according to Fox Weather. No lives have been lost yet due to this eruption and necessary protective measures are being planned upon by the authorities around preventing catastrophic damage in the National Park region.

FAQs

Q1. Where is the Volcanoes National Park located?
A1. The Volcanoes National Park is situated in Hawaii, the US which has recently seen a rather dormant volcano suddenly erupting without notice after nearly 50 years.

Q2. Are volcanic gases harmful?
A2. Volcanic gases, if exposed into the atmosphere, can be harmful to humans as well as animals due to the presence of toxic elements in it.