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Popping noises heard from falling rocks at Kilauea's volcano summit
POSTED: 04:13 p.m. HST, Feb 15, 2011
LAST UPDATED: 09:15 p.m. HST, Feb 15, 2011
Hawaii Volcano Observatory geologists say some rocks from Kilauea's volcano summit vent have broken off and fallen into the lava lake inside the Halemaumau crater this week.
| A 30-second recording of these sounds and images of the lava lake are posted on the HVO Web site at http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/kilauea/update/images.html |
The observatory said today the falling rocks made sharp popping sounds that could be heard by visitors at the Jaggar Museum Overlook at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.
The first section collapsed into the lava lake at 8:42 a.m. Monday. Moments later the crater ejected gas, ash and a dusty brown plume.
The second section -- estimated to be nearly 400 feet long and up to 16 feet wide -- collapsed several hours later. The lava lake's level began to drop shortly afterward.
Kilauea is the world's longest continually erupting volcano. The east rift zone began erupting in 1983.
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