Crater collapse sends lava spewing from Hawaii volcano
Lava spews into the air along the fissure between the Pu'u 'O'o and Napua craters.
March 7th, 2011
05:47 AM ET

Crater collapse sends lava spewing from Hawaii volcano

Lava from Hawaii's Kilauea Volcano was shooting as high as 80 feet in the air Sunday after the collapse of the floor of the volcano's Pu'u 'O'o crater a day earlier.

Hawaii Volcano Observatory scientists said the floor of the crater dropped 377 feet over almost three hours on Saturday  and a fissure developed between the Pu'u 'O'o and Napau craters on Kilauea.

The lava lake on Kilauea's summit has drop since the collapse, scientists said in a press release Sunday.

The volcano observatory was set up a webcam to provide updated still images of the erupting fissure and the Puu Oo crater.

Kilauea is the youngest volcano in Hawaii and perhaps the world's most active, according to the volcano observatory. The current activity is a continuation of an eruption that began in 1983.

Kilauea, the home of Hawaii's goddess of fire Pele, has erupted 34 times since 1952.

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Filed under: Hawaii • Volcano
soundoff (84 Responses)
  1. Ryan

    How do you guys manage to put politics into this? Someone has to always say something about it...probably in hopes of becoming the next informant for Julian and his group. "oh, the crater started to erupt because Obama won't do anything in Libya." "Pele is angry because Kim Jong Il is fat." ...something stupid like that...SHUT UP

    March 7, 2011 at 11:26 am | Report abuse |
  2. rex edie

    at least Bill Gates has the human kindness to use some of his billions for charity and other positive purposes....there's nothing wrong with making money.... but the "BS" that's been going on....on wall st. and the military industrial complex is ...as evil as it gets..... if you manufacture weapons of war.... you have to manufacture a reason to use them....

    March 7, 2011 at 1:08 pm | Report abuse |
  3. Andy

    you all belong in the loony bin

    March 7, 2011 at 1:09 pm | Report abuse |
  4. K C

    The video of the lava spewing out is pretty spectacular! 🙂 Of all the time I've lived in Hawaii, I've never seen it erupt like this!

    March 7, 2011 at 1:11 pm | Report abuse |
  5. Matt

    AWESOME article... although the SPELLING IS HORRIBLE!!! Where are CNN's editors???

    March 7, 2011 at 1:14 pm | Report abuse |
    • Brewcityjr

      it's hard to type and cut a line of coke at the same time...

      March 12, 2011 at 9:13 am | Report abuse |
  6. becca

    So what about natives and tourists at the time of the eruption? Did they evactuate? I hope no one was hurt.

    March 7, 2011 at 2:25 pm | Report abuse |
  7. Brent Kincaid

    No more spell back "has drop'. Braddah be speak pidgin good!

    March 7, 2011 at 2:31 pm | Report abuse |
  8. irene

    Flew over the lava flow yesterday by helicopter. It was awesome! FYI: Hawaiians tried to divert Kilauea's flows for years with no success. Over 200 homes were lost in two subdivisions in the last 25 years even though berms and channels were built and water was dropped to harden the lava's edge to stem the flow. The big island is growing from these new flows and it is an amazing and humbling sight to see. You can buy land there real cheap, but you can't insure it.

    March 7, 2011 at 2:34 pm | Report abuse |
  9. Darkangel

    Best add ever with dawn

    March 7, 2011 at 2:46 pm | Report abuse |
  10. Hiloite

    They may have tried to use fire hoses to save Hilo (and even aerial bombing in the '30s) but that was from Mauna Loa and not from Kiliauea. The water didn't work, neither did the bombing, the flow stopped on it's own. Iceland has done it successfully, when it's near a harbor and they can use boats to help spray. Have you ever seen a flow up close? There is no way that a fire truck and a hose is going to hold anything off. They also use fire hoses on houses to keep them from burning too quickly and give the residents time to get more things out. And Hilo is not that close to Pu'u 'O'o. It's actually flowing to the east (down hill) and Hilo is north. Just sayin'.

    March 7, 2011 at 2:47 pm | Report abuse |
  11. Al

    Hawaii is like 6 islands, which island is this one on?

    March 7, 2011 at 3:04 pm | Report abuse |
    • Akamai

      Count again– more than 6. There are 8 main islands– Hawai'i, Lana'i, Moloka'i, Kaho'olawe, Maui, O'ahu, Kaua'i, & Ni'ihau.
      Kilauea is on Hawai'i island... also called the Big Island by some. The main towns on Hawai'i are Hilo & Kailua-Kona.
      Many people mistakenly believe Honolulu is on Hawai'i island simply because of the name. It is not– it is on O'ahu island.
      We live in one of the most special places on this planet. Kilauea is part of our history & our culture. Pele is just reminding us who is in control.

      March 7, 2011 at 3:19 pm | Report abuse |
    • magnus

      Kilauea is on the "Big Island" of Hawaii.

      March 7, 2011 at 5:17 pm | Report abuse |
  12. HiddenCode

    The name Pu'u O'o' originated from the sounds made by the high priest and a woman at a Samoan ritual, when they were performing one of these acts, then all of sudden the volcano erupted!

    March 7, 2011 at 3:13 pm | Report abuse |
  13. Hilo, HI

    This is FANTASTIC! Awe-inspiring, humbling, breath-takingly beautiful! I have no words to describe what it felt like to poke a stick into slow moving lava in the Black Sands a few months back -never got that close before. PLEASE COME VISIT THE BIG ISLAND OF HAWAII if you can. HILO IS THE PERFECT PLACE TO STAY near the park, and don't forget to go up the Mauna Kea summit -if there's no blizzard conditions there! -if so, then just the telescopes @ the visitors center -BEST VIEW OF THE HEAVENS!! No, I don't work for the tourism bureau! Whoever you are, where ever you're from, I want to welcome you with aloha to come see what we have here b/c I know you will never forget it!! Peace and Aloha!

    March 7, 2011 at 3:16 pm | Report abuse |
  14. jay

    The Kilauea Volcano is a burden to some who build in it's way, but a larger problem than lava is the VOG that eminates. I live in Honolulu and we get regular visits from the vog, a combination of sulfur, water, particulate etc. in a smog that blankets the entire island chain when the "kona" or southerly winds are present. Only the eastern trade winds blow it away. People get sick, have breathing problems and are no where near the volcano.

    As far as the " Glistening one", he ain't no home boy because he claims to be from here... Please.

    March 7, 2011 at 3:53 pm | Report abuse |
  15. Cesar

    We should toss all corrupt businessmen, world leaders, communists, and false prophets into the burning lake of fire and fright.. See em again till the fourth of julyyy!! That should quiet things down a bit.

    March 7, 2011 at 4:08 pm | Report abuse |
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