Kilauea resumes summit eruption at Halemaumau with lava fountains

Kilauea volcano resumed erupting Friday, sending an arc of lava about 100 feet into the sky and across a portion of its summit crater. It marked the volcano’s 31st display of molten rock since December, with the north vent in Halemaumau Crater continuing to spatter in the morning, followed by lava overflowing and then erupting into fountains by afternoon. The eruption remains confined to the summit crater and has not threatened nearby homes, while observers await further activity that could unfold in the coming days.

Scientists described the ongoing activity as part of a sustained feeding cycle. A lower magma chamber under Halemaumau is receiving magma directly from the Earth’s interior at a high rate, pushing magma into an upper chamber and then to the surface through a system of cracks. The same pathway has been in use since December, enabling repeated episodes of lava spouts that have produced fountains at times taller than 1,000 feet in past eruptions. The current fountains have been shorter, a change attributed in part to the vent widening and a resulting drop in pressure, according to researchers monitoring the volcano. The lead scientist at the Hawaiian Volcano...