Thursday, January 5, 2023<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Release No. 2023-003<\/p>\n\n\n\n
HONOLULU<\/strong> \u2014 K\u012blauea volcano erupted Thursday afternoon, following a brief period of increased seismic activity, but the lava remained confined to the Halema\u02bbuma\u02bbu crater in its\u202fsummit caldera, within Hawai\u2018i Volcanoes National Park. There is no threat to communities at this time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The eruption began at about 4:34 p.m. HST Thursday, when the glow of fresh lava was detected on the crater floor, according to the United States Geological Survey\u2019s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO). HVO raised the volcano alert level to \u201cwarning\u201d and the aviation threat level to \u201cred,\u201d the highest level in each series.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The eruption followed a brief period of heightened seismic activity beneath the summit and physical inflation of the mountain that began Thursday morning. At about 3:20 p.m., HVO had raised the alert level to \u201cwatch\u201d and \u201corange;\u201d the eruption began a little more than an hour later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n K\u012blauea caldera eruptions may continue for a long period of time without threatening people or property beyond the immediate summit of the volcano. HVO scientists will continue to monitor the eruption and provide guidance on the threat caused by any changes in activity. The Hawai\u2018i Emergency Management Agency (HI-EMA) and Hawai\u2018i County Civil Defense Agency are in contact with the experts at HVO and will advise the public of any safety concerns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n