Hawaii

Watch: Lava “cascades” into crater as Hawaii volcanic eruption continues

Published

1 year ago

September 19, 2024

Watch: Lava “cascades” into crater as Hawaii volcanic eruption continues

A volcanic eruption near Nāpau Crater in Hawaii’s Volcanoes National Park is continuing to dramatic effect, footage by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) shows.

The eruptive activity at the Kilauea volcano began on September 14, when magma intruded beneath the ground in the volcano’s East Rift Zone. The following day, magma was seen bubbling up to the surface along a 480-meter fissure in the ground.

“The eruption near Nāpau Crater in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park continues,” the USGS said in its status report on Wednesday evening.

“Webcam and GOES satellite thermal imagery show that eruptive activity within Nāpau Crater, which had been waning throughout the day, has likely ceased while eruptive activity on the west edge of Nāpau Crater appears to have restarted. Lava is currently cascading into Nāpau Crater on the northwest rim.”

The Kilauea Volcano east rift zone eruption in June 2018. Kilauea is one of the most active volcanoes in the world, and frequently spews out lava into surrounding areas.

Sipa USA/SIPAPRE/AP

Kilauea, located on the southeastern coast of Hawaii’s Big Island, is one of the most active volcanoes in the world, with regular eruptions since 1983. The eruption temperature of the lava is about 2,140 °F; however, as soon as it is exposed to air, it begins cooling by hundreds of degrees per second.

By Tuesday, new vents at the volcano had opened, and the extent of the eruption was growing. “In total, the fissure system has stretched over 1.6 kilometers (1 mile) of the East Rift Zone, with lava flows now covering 18 hectares (44 acres),” the USGS said in its timeline of events.

Newsweek contacted the USGS by email for comment on the ongoing situation at the eruption site.

A map shows the location of Nāpau Crater on the island of Hawaii.

Though the eruption is occurring in a remote location of the national park, with no immediate threats posed to life or infrastructure, several hazards have been identified.

Volcanic smog, or “vog,” is a mixture of water vapor and sulfur dioxide that is emitted during eruptions and can have far reaching effects downwind, according to the USGS. “Vog creates the potential for airborne health hazards to residents and visitors, damages agricultural crops and other plants, and affects livestock,” the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said.

Hawaiian lava flows generally move slowly, burning and destroying everything in their paths. As well as scorching vegetation and soil, the flows can ignite gas pockets below the surface, leading to explosions.

Temporary closures are in place in Volcanoes National Park as a result of the activity, and public viewing of the eruption is not currently permitted.

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Hawaii

2026 Sony Open field is announced. See who’s playing in Hawaii

Published

2 hours ago

January 9, 2026

Press Room

2026 Sony Open field is announced. See who’s playing in Hawaii

The Sony Open in Hawaii has the honors of being the kickoff event to the 2026 PGA Tour season after the cancellation of The Sentry at Kapalua this season.

Instead of Maui, the Tour debuts in Honolulu on the island of Oahu, Jan. 15-18, at the Seth Raynor-designed Waialae Country Club, where Nick Taylor prevailed in a playoff over Nico Echavarria last year.

Among the changes this season is the field size, which was reduced from 144 to 120, and, there is no longer is a Monday qualifier offering four spots. Will that help with pace of play? Stay tuned.

The field includes the following notables in addition to Taylor and Echavarria: Daniel Berger, Keegan Bradley, Michael Brennan, Corey Conners, Tony Finau, Chris Gotterup, Brian Harman, Russell Henley, Billy Horschel, Robert MacIntyre, Collin Morikawa, Adam Scott, Jordan Spieth, Sahith Theegala, Gary Woodland and 62-year-old Vijay Singh.

Here’s the full field for the Sony Open, which will be live on Golf Channel all four days as well as NBC with early-round coverage on Saturday and Sunday.

This year’s Sony purse is $9.1 million and the winner also will receive 500 FedEx Cup points.

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Hawaii

Hawaii Pacific basketball teams split with Menlo | Honolulu Star-Advertiser

Published

14 hours ago

January 9, 2026

Press Room

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Hawaii

Hawaii County accepting applications for Summer Fun employees

Published

1 day ago

January 8, 2026

Press Room

Hawaii County accepting applications for Summer Fun employees

HAWAII ISLAND (HawaiiNewsNow) – The County of Hawaii Department of Parks and Recreation is now accepting applications for temporary positions in its 2026 Summer Fun program.

The two positions available are Activity Aide I ($17.50 per hour) and Activity Aide II ($19 per hour).

To be considered for employment, applicants must possess a valid first-aid certification, attend mandatory training June 2–5, and be available to work June 8–July 17.

Applications are available online on the Parks and Recreation website, and must be submitted to the Recreation Division Office at 799 Pi‘ilani St., Hilo, HI 96720, postmarked by Saturday, Feb. 28.

For more information, call the Recreation Division Office at (808) 961-8740.

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