After several light earthquakes, the Kilauea volcano in Hawaii has now erupted. The hot magma bubbles and a huge cloud of smoke has formed over the crater. Is Hawaii now threatened with a similar fate as Palma?
On Wednesday around 3:20 p.m. (local time) there was another eruption of the Kilauea volcano. In the past few days, slight earthquakes had already shaken the “Big Island”. Shortly after the volcanic eruption, the alert level was raised from “Observe” to “Warning”, while the color code “RED” was declared for aviation – the highest possible level.
How dangerous is the volcanic eruption?
Lava has been emerging from the Halemaumau crater on the summit of Kilauea since Wednesday, a thick cloud of smoke envelops the volcano. According to estimates, the cloud has already reached a height of 1200 meters. Washington warns of the potential danger of volcanic ash in the smoke. According to the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO), the cloud also contains dangerous levels of sulfur dioxide, which can cause respiratory diseases.
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The volcano last erupted in 2018. At that time, thousands of residents lost their livelihoods and were driven from the area around Kilauea. The volcano itself is located in a national park, the area around is now uninhabited. Accordingly, the cloud of smoke could cause the greatest damage on the main island. (toen)
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