Hawaii volcano spews lava fountain 150 feet into the air

Lava from a Hawaii volcano shot into the sky Tuesday in tall fountains that were expected to grow even bigger as part of an off-and-on eruption.

The eruption began Dec. 23 in a crater at the summit of Kilauea, one of the world’s most active volcanoes, in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on the Big island.

what began in the morning with sporadic, small flows became continuous fountaining in the afternoon, the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said. They reached 165 feet and were expected to grow.

No residential areas have been threatened by the eruption. People have been flocking to overlook sites inside the park for views of the fiery show.

The length of time for each fountaining episode has varied from several hours to several days. Episodes have been separated by pauses lasting from less than 24 hours to 12 days, according to the observatory.



(Screen shot from USGS webcam)