Excerpt from CBS News:
Kilauea National Park, Hawaii - Lava poured down the side of Mount Kilaueaon on the “Big Island” of Hawaii on Tuesday as a new phase began in the 24-year eruption of the Kilauea volcano.
The nearby Kahaualea Natural Area Reserve has now closed to the public. Lava erupted from a fissure system about 1/2 to 3/4 of a mile in length and was pooling in ponds about 50 feet high and a couple of hundred feet across.
The State Department of Land and Natural Resources said molten rock had caused three of the ponds to overflow, posing a danger to the public.
Toxic fumes were also being emitted by the volcano, the department said. The natural area reserve was established in 1987. It covers more than 16,000 acres. Kilauea volcano, on the southernmost Island of Hawaii, is one of the most active on Earth. It sits on the southeastern side of the Big Island of Hawaii, resting on the flanks of its larger neighbor volcano Manua Loa.
Kilauea stands just under 4200 feet tall at its highest point.
The current eruption of Kilauea, known as the Pu`u `O`o Eruption, started in January 1983. In the process, lava flows have destroyed 181 houses and the National Park visitor center. There are no signs that the current eruption is slowing or will come to an end any time soon.
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