The Kilauea volcano on Hawaii's Big Island erupted late Sunday, authorities said, warning of a possible "significant emission" of volcanic ash into the atmosphere.

"An eruption has commenced within Kilauea's summit caldera," shortly after 9:30 pm local time (0730 GMT), said the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

"The situation is rapidly evolving and HVO (Hawaiian Volcano Observatory) will issue another statement when more information is available."

Images posted by the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park showed billows of red smoke rising into the night sky.

The USGS warned of a "significant emission of volcanic ash into the atmosphere" and upgraded its aviation color code to red, advising pilots to avoid the area around Kilauea.

The National Weather Service reported prevailing winds could push the ashfall towards communities on the southwest of Big Island and said people with respiratory problems should take "extra precaution".

The USGS reported a shallow, 4.4-magnitude earthquake near the volcano shortly after the eruption.

Kilauea, a popular tourist attraction, is one of the world's most active volcanoes and has been erupting regularly since the 1950s.

In 2014 Big Island declared a state of emergency after red-hot lava from Kilauea ignited a house and threatened the entire town of Pahoa on the eastern tip of the island.

Hawaii Island, or the Big Island, is the largest of the eight main islands which make up the Pacific US state -- an archipelago that includes hundreds of smaller volcanic islands.

Related Links
Bringing Order To A World Of Disasters
When the Earth Quakes
A world of storm and tempest

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

Secret of Australia's volcanoes revealed
Sydney, Australia (SPX) Dec 17, 2020
Australia's east coast is littered with the remnants of hundreds of volcanoes - the most recent just a few thousand years old - and scientists have been at a loss to explain why so many eruptions have occurred over the past 80 million years. Now, geoscientists at the University of Sydney have discovered why part of a stable continent like Australia is such a hotbed of volcanic activity. And the findings suggest there could be more volcanic activity in the future. "We aren't on the famous Pac ... read more