Kilauea

Fiery molten lava resumed its flow to the sea Saturday after apparently blasting through a jam in volcanic plumbing beneath the solidified surface crust, scientists said. A vent in Kilauea Volcano has been sending lava through an eight-mile tunnel network, scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey's Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said.

A lava flow from Kilauea Volcano spread into three streams of molten rock over the sparsely settled hillsides of southern Hawaii Island on Friday and flowed into the sea, sending clouds of smoke and steam billowing skyward, officials said. But scientists said that the volcano showed no signs of ending its eruption, which started in 1983. One stream coursed into a tidal pool within view of tourists on a nearby hiking trail, Hawaii County Civil Defense Administrator Harry Kim said.

A seven-mile river of glowing hot lava from Kilauea Volcano had destroyed nine homes and severed a highway by late Thursday as it inched toward the ocean. "The eruption is still going strong," said Tom Wright, scientist in charge of the U.S. Geological Survey's Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. "There is no change in our instrument readings." At its closest, the lava had moved to within 600 to 700 feet of the sea, said Mardie Lane, a park ranger at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

Kilauea volcano oozed more lava down its southeast flank Tuesday, prompting authorities to issue a preliminary fire-danger warning to residents of a sparsely populated subdivision in its path.

Smooth, gaseous lava spewed three to six feet into the air from a new fissure on the east side of Kilauea Volcano Sunday, renewing the 48th phase of a 3 1/2-year-old eruption, officials said. Scientists said Saturday that the 48th phase was finished when a nearby fissure ceased its low-level activity, but decided to consider the new fissure as part of that phase.

Kilauea volcano has resumed its 3 1/2-year-old eruption, sending out a 5-mile-long river of molten rock that forced officials to close a road inside Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

Kilauea Volcano Monday began the 46th phase of its three-year-long eruption, shooting fountains of lava up to 800 feet high in what was expected to be a brief burst of activity, scientists said. Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientist Reggie Okamura said that the latest phase had formed five lava flows, the longest about two miles. None threatened property.

A 13-hour eruption of Kilauea Volcano ended early Thursday on the eve of its third anniversary of activity. Kilauea has been sporadically erupting since Jan. 3, 1983. The newest outbreak began Wednesday afternoon.