HAWAII VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK – Officials have started to lower alert levels within Hawaii Volcanoes National Park after the Kīlauea volcano began to erupt early Monday morning in an area that hasn’t seen an eruption in nearly 50 years.

According to an alert from the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO), the Volcano Alert Level for ground-based hazards was raised from watch to warning, and the Aviation Color Code was changed from orange to red after the new eruption began around 12:30 a.m. local time (6:30 a.m. ET).

About 8:30 a.m. local time (2:30 p.m. ET), the USGS lowered the Volcano Alert Level to a watch and the Aviation Color Code to orange. Scientists said the remote nature and low volume of the eruption prompted a lowering of alerts.

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Scientists said the eruption likely began about a mile south of Kīlauea caldera and north of the Koa’e fault system and Hilina Pali Road within the national park.

A glow was spotted on webcams in the area, which indicated to scientists that lava was flowing from fissures in an area that hasn’t seen an eruption since December 1974. That eruption lasted a mere six hours, but scientists warn that there’s no way of telling how long this current eruption will last.

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The HVO said it would continue to monitor Kīlauea closely for signs of increasing or decreasing activity and would provide updates.

Hazards associated with the current eruption include the release of toxic volcanic gas, which can have far-reaching effects downwind.

In addition, vog has been observed downwind of Kīlauea and could create the potential for airborne health hazards to residents and visitors in the area, as well as cause damage to crops and other plants and injure animals.

Original article source: Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano erupts in region that hasn’t seen eruption since 1974