The new eruption at Kilauea on Wednesday afternoon has created a stir of excitement at Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park.
Thousands of visitors flocked to the park in the hours that followed the surfacing of lava and at the break of dawn Thursday to capture a glimpse of the glow within the volcano’s Halemaumau Crater.
The National Park Service is increasing staffing in anticipation of growing crowds this weekend, according to NPS spokeswoman Jessica Ferracane, but is reminding visitors to act responsibly and take appropriate safety measures.
“We are in a pandemic,” she said. On Wednesday night “there was a lot of crowding happening at Uekahuna, with people standing close to one another. … We want to remind people they need to wear a mask if they can’t maintain social distancing.”
Masks are required inside all NPS buildings and in crowded outdoor spaces, regardless of vaccination status. The park will remain open 24 hours a day, she said, and there are many different viewing areas around the summit, so visitors can spread out.
Visiting at dawn might also be a less crowded alternative to visiting at night.
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“The sunrise is incredible, and you can still see the glow,” Ferracane said. “The landscape comes alive, and it’s a beautiful time to be here.”
Vantage points for viewing the new eruption include Uekahuna, or the former Jaggar Museum parking area, Wahinekapu (Steaming Bluff), Kilauea Overlook, Keanakakoi, Kupinai Pali (Waldron Ledge) and other overlooks along Crater Rim Trail.
Although the Jaggar Museum and buildings were closed due to damage during the 2018 Kilauea eruption, the Uekahuna cliff area reopened to the public in August.
It is important that visitors stay on marked trails and out of closed areas for their safety, said Ferracane, particularly in the dark, when crater edges are not visible. They should also be prepared for long lines and crowded parking lots.
“These closures are in place for a reason,” she said. “Crater Rim Trail is really close to the edge of the caldera, and that’s about a 400-foot, straight-down fall. Don’t go beyond those closure barriers.”
The U.S. Geological Society Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said the new eruption at Kilauea began at about 3:20 p.m. Wednesday, with webcams showing flows on a lava lake that was last active in May.
Hours after the eruption got underway, Ken Hon, HVO’s scientist-in-charge, told the Honolulu Star- Advertiser it was flowing at a “pretty high effusion rate” with lava fountains 50 to 100 feet high.
Webcams have captured active lava fountains as high as a five-story building on the central crater floor, along with a new vent that opened up just after 4:40 p.m. Wednesday on the crater’s west wall.
Scientists conducted a helicopter overflight Thursday morning and observed lava continuing to erupt from multiple vents on the floor and west wall. The lava lake has been rising about a meter per hour since the eruption began, officials said, but did not exhibit “widespread circulation overnight.”
Although the volcano alert has been raised to a warning level, lava activity appears to be confined to Halemaumau Crater, without threat to homes or neighborhoods.
Seismicity and volcanic gas emission rates, however, remain elevated. Earthquakes of between 1.6 to 3.1 in magnitude continued throughout Thursday, but HVO said they have been stable, and no unusual activity has been noted in the Kilauea East Rift Zone.
The high levels of volcanic gas released from Kilauea are the primary hazard of concern, creating vog (volcanic smog) downwind. HVO estimated sulfur dioxide emission rates to be at about 85,000 tons per day after the eruption started.
Those rates fell Thursday to 20,000 tons, according to Steven Businger, professor of atmospheric sciences, who will publish vog forecasts at weather.hawaii.edu/vmap/new.
The National Weather Service on Wednesday issued a special statement warning that pilots observed Pele’s hair near the summit. Pele’s hair — thin strands of volcanic glass — is sharp and brittle, and can cause skin and eye irritation.
Ferracane said exposure to sulfur dioxide is a possible health concern for visitors, particularly for at-risk groups, which include people with respiratory or heart conditions.
The state Department of Health warned residents of intermittent air quality problems in areas west of the summit such as Pahala, Naalehu and Ocean View, as well as Hilo and East Hawaii.
Poor air quality and increased levels of sulfur dioxide can cause problems with respiratory health, DOH warned. Visitors and residents should take precautions by reducing outdoor activities during vog conditions, and be aware that face masks used to prevent COVID-19 do not necessarily provide protection from sulfur dioxide or vog.
Ferracane recommends that visitors check nps.gov/havo to get updates and plan ahead before visiting. They can also monitor air quality at the park at hawaiiso2network.com.
>> Maintain social distance of 6 feet from others and wear a mask to reduce the spread of COVID-19. If you are sick, please visit another day.
>> Volcanic eruptions can be hazardous and change at any time. Stay on marked trails and overlooks, and avoid earth cracks and cliff edges. Do not enter closed areas.
>> Hazardous volcanic gases are billowing out of the crater and present a danger to everyone, especially people with heart or respiratory problems, infants, young children and pregnant women.
>> Slow down and drive safely. Expect long waits for parking spaces at popular vantage points like Uekahuna (formerly the Jaggar Museum).
>> At 4,000 feet the summit of Kilauea can be chilly at any time. Bring a rain jacket; wear long pants and closed-toe shoes. Bring a flashlight if visiting at night.
>> Visit nps.gov/havo to plan ahead of your visit.
