Hawaii's Kilauea volcano has erupted, spewing hot lava hundreds of feet into the sky, and triggering health warnings for those near the area.
The September 2 eruption was captured on video, in an event the US Geological Survey (USGS) called Episode 32.
It's the 32nd burst of volcanic activity in Kilauea's ongoing eruption cycle that started in December 2024 at Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park.
The latest lava blast started early Tuesday morning and lasted over 13 hours before suddenly stopping at 2:01am ET (8:01pm in Hawaii).
During that time, lava shot up as high as 500 feet into the air, with the smoky cloud rising up to 10,000 feet above Hawaii's Big Island.
This eruption produced a huge amount of lava, covering 40 to 50 percent of the bowl-shaped crater at the summit of Kilauea called Halemaʻumaʻu.
While the eruption did not pose an immediate danger to the residents of Hawaii, USGS warned that volcanic gas and tiny shards of lava could travel for miles and potentially cause harm.
The volcanic gas creates a hazy smog called vog, which might cause breathing problems if you're nearby or in an area where the smoke is blown towards.
Breathing in large amounts of SO2 and vog can cause respiratory issues and other health problems, including headaches, sore throats, skin irritation, and potentially exacerbate serious conditions like heart disease.
After the eruption stopped, the gas coming out of Kilauea dropped significantly, but the levels were very high while the lava was flowing, pumping out over 50,000 tons of vog during the day.
Another concern is 'Pele's hair,' which are thin, glass-like strands of lava that can float over 10 miles from the eruption, contaminating drinking water and irritating skin or eyes if touched.
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