HAWAIʻI VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK, Hawaii – The 46th eruptive episode of Hawaii's Kīlauea volcano has begun and continues to surge as lava spits out from the summit.
Episode 46 began at 8:17 am on Tuesday morning, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).
Cameras set up by the USGS around Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park show the growing strength as lava continues to gush from the summit.
Footage from the West Halemaʻumaʻu crater shows tons of ash and tephra falling from the sky as the lava fountains grow stronger and reach higher heights.
Lava fountains reached as high as 650 feet during the peak of the eruption at about 10 am.
The National Weather Service (NWS) reports that the area has been experiencing breezy conditions, with easterly winds of 11 to 16 mph and gusts up to 22 mph, a perfect recipe for spreading lingering tephra across the region on Tuesday.
This could also fuel the risk of pele’s hair, which can spread great distances depending on the combination of lava fountaining and wind conditions, according to the USGS.
According to officials, an estimated 6 million cubic yards of lava erupted and covered about 60% of the Halemaʻumaʻu crater floor.
"Tephra falls from volcanic ash clouds is greatest within 3 miles (5 km) of the vents, lighter ash and Pele’s Hair may stay suspended for large distances from the vents," read a statement from the USGS.
According to the USGS, tephra as large as 6 inches was observed falling on Highway 11 in the national park, along with ash and Pele's hair.
The NWS issued an Ashfall Advisory throughout Tuesday for the regions north/northwest of Halemaʻumaʻu.
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The eruption ended abruptly at 5:22 pm HST on Tuesday, after about 9 hours of continuous lava fountaining primarily from the north vent, and is still paused according to officials.
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