Summit crater glows as Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano erupts again

Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano, from the west rim of the summit caldera, looking east (US Geological Survey/AP)

Hawaii’s Kilauea has begun erupting inside its summit crater, the US Geological Survey said – less than one month after the volcano and its larger neighbour Mauna Loa stopped releasing lava.

The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory detected a glow in webcam images, indicating Kilauea had begun erupting inside Halemaumau crater at the volcano’s summit caldera, the agency said.

Kilauea’s summit is inside Hawaii Volcanoes National Park and away from residential communities.

Hawaii’s Kilauea began erupting inside its summit crater on Thursday, the US Geological Survey said (US Geological Survey/AP)

Kilauea is one of the world’s most active volcanoes. It last erupted for 16 months starting in September 2021. For about two weeks starting on November 27, Hawaii had two volcanoes spewing lava side by side when Mauna Loa erupted for the first time in 38 years. Both volcanoes stopped erupting at about the same time.

Earlier on Thursday, the US Geological Survey raised the alert level for Kilauea due to signs magma was moving below the summit surface, an indication the volcano might erupt.