Huge Hawaii Volcano Eruption Knocks Out Remote Camera
A volcano in Hawaii sent lava spewing toward a remote camera recording the eruption, engulfing it in ash and knocking it offline.
A monitoring camera operated by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) was disabled on Saturday after being taken out by a powerful eruption at Kīlauea — one of the world’s most active volcanoes. Kīlauea is located along the southeastern shore of Hawaii Island.
Footage released by the USGS shows the remote camera glitching, stalling, and ultimately cutting out as lava and volcanic debris surged toward its position. According to the USGS, lava fountains up to 100ft high erupted from Kīlauea’s north vent on December 6. The event formed part of what the agency has designated Episode 38 of the ongoing summit eruption, which began in December last year. The episode ended abruptly after about 12 hours of continuous activity from the volcano.
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Local outlet Big Island Video News reports that the eruption began at 8:45 A.M. HST (Hawaiian Standard Time) following only one day of low-level precursory activity. Lava fountains rapidly intensified at both the north and south vents. Within the first hour, the eruption produced rare triple fountains — two from the north vent and one from the south — a first for this eruptive sequence.
By around 9:45 A.M., the character of the eruption shifted, according to Big Island Video News. The south-vent fountain grew dramatically in size, appearing to explode as it sent lava, gas, and volcanic material more than 1,000 feet into the air. The fountain leaned southward, directing a surge of ejecta toward one of the three USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory webcams used to livestream the event.
Footage from the device shows a fast-moving plume of pumice, ash, and volcanic gas closing in before the camera is engulfed, offering a rare perspective of what it looks like to be overtaken by a towering lava fountain.
The camera had been positioned inside a closed area of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, restricted to the public because of hazardous eruptive conditions. It was destroyed shortly before 10 A.M., the USGS confirms.
Image credits: All photos by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).