HONOLULU — K?lauea volcano erupted Thursday afternoon, following a brief period of increased seismic activity, but the lava remained confined to the Halema?uma?u crater in its?summit caldera, within Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. There is no threat to communities at this time.

The eruption began at about 4:34 p.m. HST Thursday, when the glow of fresh lava was detected on the crater floor, according to the United States Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO). HVO raised the volcano alert level to “warning” and the aviation threat level to “red,” the highest level in each series.

The eruption followed a brief period of heightened seismic activity beneath the summit and physical inflation of the mountain that began Thursday morning. At about 3:20 p.m., HVO had raised the alert level to “watch” and “orange;” the eruption began a little more than an hour later.

K?lauea caldera eruptions may continue for a long period of time without threatening people or property beyond the immediate summit of the volcano. HVO scientists will continue to monitor the eruption and provide guidance on the threat caused by any changes in activity. The Hawai‘i Emergency Management Agency (HI-EMA) and Hawai‘i County Civil Defense Agency are in contact with the experts at HVO and will advise the public of any safety concerns.

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