(Los Angeles) Le volcan Kilauea dans l’archipel américain d’Hawaii, un des plus actifs au monde, est à nouveau entré en éruption dimanche, avec des jets de lave de plus de 20 mètres de haut, ont indiqué les services géologiques des États-Unis.
L’éruption a débuté aux alentours de 15 h 15 dimanche (21 h 15 heure de l’Est, lundi), a indiqué l’Institut d’études géologiques des États-Unis (USGS), précisant qu’elle avait été « précédée par une période de forte sismicité ».
After January and June, this is the third time this year that the volcano has erupted.
The volcano is located far from residential areas, but Hawaii emergency services have warned of the release of volcanic gases, particularly sulfur dioxide, irritating to the eyes and respiratory tract, which can affect the inhabitants, crops and livestock.
“At this point, the lava on Kilauea is confined to the summit and does not pose a threat to residents. However, eruptions emit particles and gases which can create respiratory problems,” the institute warned on X (formerly Twitter).
Images broadcast live on the USGS website showed fountains of lava escaping from multiple cracks in the crater.
“The height of the lava fountains has decreased since the start of the eruption, but can still be up to 20 to 25 meters,” the USGS said in its update Monday at 1:20 a.m. (Eastern time). ).
The alert level was raised from “watch” to “warning” and that for aviation was changed to red.
Kilauea, a so-called “shield” volcano because it is flat, is smaller, but much more active than its neighbor Mauna Loa. Erupting almost continuously between 1983 and 2019, Kilauea is one of six active volcanoes in the Hawaiian archipelago.
