Kilauea Volcano: Lava Eruption is Sending 'Pele's Hair' into Hawaii's Skies

As per the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the National Weather Service, Kilauea volcano is currently active and Hawaii's skies have been receiving lava and thread-like pieces of volcanic glass referred to as Pele's hair.

Kilauea Volcano

The eruption started on the 29th of September being Wednesday at about 3:20 p.m. local Hawaii time, when the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory noticed a glow from its video camera at Kilauea summit. That glow signified a lava eruption taking place at Halema'uma'u crater which is a pit crater laying in the much bigger Kilauea caldera.

The webcam video also showed fissures at the foot of Halema'uma'u crater discharging lava flows onto the lava lake's surface that was active until May this year, the USGS said in a statement.

However, Kilauea eruption which is situated within Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, on the Big Island in Hawaii is restricted to Halema'uma'u crater and this means that for now, it's not a threat to the public.

On the 29th of September, a Hawaii County spokesperson named Cyrus Johnasen, told Hawaii news station KHON2: "At this time, we don't believe anybody or any residents are in danger, but we do want to remind folks the park remains open."

He added saying "It will remain open until the evening. Please proceed with caution," particularly for those that are suffering from respiratory issues.

Kilauea's Volcano Alert Level Elevated from Watch to Warning

Currently, the portion of the park where the eruption is taking place is closed to visitors, as per the USGS.

The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory has raised the alert level for Kilauea volcano from "watch" to "warning" because of the eruption, and its aviation color code has also been changed from orange to red, warning pilots about potential ash emissions.

According to the USGS, these warning levels are the highest and this means a major volcanic eruption is imminent, ongoing, or likely to happen, with dangerous activity both above and below.

For now, a number of pilots flying aircraft close to Kilauea Wednesday evening said they saw volcanic glass referred to as Pele's hair, as per the National Weather Service.

Pele's Hair

The sharp, golden strands of glass named for Pele are produced when gas bubbles within lava split open at the surface. Pele is the Hawaiian goddess of volcanoes and fire.

A research geologist at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory named Don Swanson told Live Science earlier on: "The skin of the bursting bubbles flies out, and some of the skin becomes stretched into these very long threads, sometime[s] as long as a couple of feet [more than half a meter] or so."

The hair of Pele can be attractive, but it presents danger if one swallows it through drinking water, Swanson cautioned.

The latest of a long string of Kilauea's volcanic activity is this current eruption. At an elevation of about 1,222 m (4,009 feet) above ground level, the volcano shaped like a shield has a magma-pumping system that stretches over 37 miles (60 kilometers) beneath Earth, as per the USG.

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