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Carlos Campana / AFP - Getty Images
Lava spurts out from the Tungurahua volcano in Pelileo, Ecuador, on May 8.
Lava streams from Tungurahua volcano in Ecuador
Lava flows to the ocean in Hawaii, creating rare natural show
Hugh Gentry / Reuters
Waves crash over lava as it flows into the ocean near Volcanoes National Park in Kalapana, Hawaii on November 27, 2012.
Hugh Gentry / Reuters
Reuters reports — A volcano on Hawaii's largest island is spilling lava into the ocean, creating a rare and spectacular fusion of steam and waves that officials said could attract thrill-seeking visitors if it continues.
Lava from a vent in Kilauea Volcano on the Big Island of Hawaii began flowing into the ocean 7 miles away on Saturday. The volcano has been erupting continuously from its Pu'u O'o vent since 1983.
Hugh Gentry / Reuters
A plume of smoke rises from the volcanic activity in Kilauea crater on November 27, 2012.
Janet Babb, spokeswoman for the U.S. Geological Survey's Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, warned of potentially deadly risks and urged visitors to stay a safe distance away and respect barriers placed around the lava flow.
"Ocean entries can be quite beautiful but also quite dangerous," Babb said. Read the full story.
Hugh Gentry / Reuters
Hugh Gentry / Reuters
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Hawaii's Kilauea Volcano is sending lava into the ocean for the first time in 11 months. NBCNews.com's Dara Brown reports.
Lava lake reaches record height on highly active Hawaiian volcano
Tim Orr / USGS
The lava lake casts red light at Kīlauea's summit at sunset. The lake is about 138 ft below the floor of Halemaʻumaʻu on Oct. 18.
By Becky Oskin, OurAmazingPlanet
The steaming lava lake in a vent near the summit of Hawaii's Mount Kilauea recently hit its highest level since the vent opened in 2008, according to the U.S. Geological Survey's Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.
The record was reached Oct. 14, when the lava rose to within 150 to 165 feet of the top of the nearly vertical vent, the USGS said. The lava continues to fluctuate but has remained high over the past few days, said Jim Kauahikaua, scientist-in-charge of the HVO.
The vent is inside Halema'uma'u Crater atop Kilauea, one of the world's most active volcanoes. The lava lake rises and falls as magma levels change within the volcano. Read the full story.
Tim Orr / USGS
A close up of the surface of the lava lake at Kīlauea's summit on Oct. 18. The lake is about 138 ft below the floor of Halemaʻumaʻu.
Tim Orr / USGS
The lava lake in the 'overlook' vent in Halemaʻumaʻu reached to within 124.7 feet of the crater floor, filling the entire bottom of the vent on Oct. 19.
View more pictures of volcanoes on PhotoBlog:
- Guatemalan eruption sparks massive evacuation order
- Fuego volcano spews 24-hour ash eruption
- Ecuador authorities issue warning as Tungurahua volcano spews ash, gas
- Tungurahua volcano erupts in Ecuador
- Increased activity of Nevado del Ruiz volcano caused alert from Colombia officials
The lava lake in the world's most active volcanoes, located on the Big Island of Hawaii, is running high. NBC's Brian Williams reports.
Mount Etna eruption creates spectacular show, disrupts flights
Mount Etna erupted Wednesday creating a spectacular light show that was visible from hundreds of miles around, La Repubblica reported. The eruption of the snow-covered volcano on the island of Sicily continued Thursday although its intensity seemed to be diminishing, according to the Italian newspaper.
The airport in the nearby city of Catania was temporarily closed, stranding the Roma soccer team in the city overnight. The club had returned to Sicily to complete a Serie A match against Catania that was halted by a storm last month. "Every time we come to Catania something happens," coach Luis Enrique told reporters. Click here to read the full report from La Repubblica in Italian.
All photos by Antonio Parrinello / Reuters
Mount Etna spews lava on the southern Italian island of Sicily on Feb. 9, 2012. Mount Etna is Europe's tallest and most active volcano.
Etna erupted 18 times in 2011 and Wednesday's was the second such event this year. See PhotoBlog images and video of the previous eruption in early January.
Eruption at snow-covered Mount Etna
Antonio Parrinello / Reuters
Mount Etna spews volcanic ash during an eruption on the southern Italian island of Sicily on Jan. 5, 2012. Mount Etna is Europe's tallest and most active volcano.
Mount Etna erupted on Thursday for the first time in 2012, forcing the temporary closure of Sicily's busiest airport, the Italian news agency ANSA reports. Europe's tallest active volcano spewed spectacular fountains of lava and sent up a plume of black smoke rising 5,000 meters (16,400 feet) above sea level. That prompted authorities to limit air traffic to Sicily's Catania Airport until midday, ANSA reported. Etna erupted 18 times during 2011, according to Italy's National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology.
See more volcano eruptions on PhotoBlog.
Sicily's Mount Etna has erupted, marking its first eruption in weeks. Msnbc.com's Dara Brown reports.
Hot lava flows from pond on Hawaii's Kilauea volcano
USGS
One of the more vigorous vents in Kilauea's Pu'u 'O'o Crater, seen at lower left, is topped by a 20-foot-tall spatter cone. The flow from this vent cascades down several steps, joining the flow from two other nearby vents, before going under a small bridge and into the broad area of ponded lava to the west.
Hawaii's Kilauea volcano is doing a slow burn while the world watches.
Kilauea isn't the kind of volcano that blows its top — as Washington state's Mount St. Helens did in 1980, or as Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull volcano did last year, or as Alaska's Cleveland Volcano is starting to do. Instead, lava rises from fissures on Kilauea, which is part of a national park on Hawaii's Big Island.
The volcano's Pu'u 'O'o cone has been erupting since 1983 with few interruptions. Last week, the U.S. Geological Survey reported a fresh breakout of lava. This video shows what happens as the bright orange lava erupts from spatter cones, then cools and moves down slope:
This Aug. 8 video from the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory shows lava flowing on the west slope of Pu'u 'O'o crater.
According to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, this current phase of the Kilauea activity, known as the Kamoamoa fissure eruption, began on March 5 when lava began fountaining between the Pu'u 'O'o and Napau craters. When the fountaining stopped, lava began building in Pu'u 'O'o, forming the molten lake that drained in a dramatic collapse on Aug. 3.
Here are a few more pictures from the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, released on Monday. It's important to note that the active flows remain entirely within the Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park and pose no threat to the public.
USGS
After the collapse of the crater floor on Aug. 3, Pu'u 'O'o has been filled with thick fume. A very tiny flow, visible only with a thermal camera, was active on the crater floor.
USGS
This thermal image, looking southwest, shows the very small flow active in the bottom of Pu'u 'O'o crater. In the upper right, the active flows on the lower west flank of Pu'u 'O'o can be seen.
USGS
This view, looking east, shows the broad area of ponded lava fed by two main channels originating from several individual vents. The fume-filled Pu'u 'O'o Crater is in the background. The darker lava in the foreground is from the Kamoamoa eruption in March.
More about volcanoes:
- Previously on PhotoBlog: Volcano spews lava
- From March: Scientists monitor eruptions at Kilauea
- Volcanoes: The difference between a blurper and a boomer
- Interactive: How and where volcanoes arise
Tip o' the Log to OurAmazingPlanet.
Connect with the Cosmic Log community by "liking" the log's Facebook page or following @b0yle on Twitter. You can also add me to your Google+ circle, and check out "The Case for Pluto," my book about the controversial dwarf planet and the search for new worlds.
Lava spews from Mount Etna in Sicily
Marcello Paternostro / AFP - Getty Images
Lava spewed from a crater of the giant Etna volcano in the southern Italy island of Sicily on Saturday, July 30, near Catania. The lava flown into a valley overnight and did not represent a danger to inhabited areas. Etna is the highest active volcano in Europe at 10,810 feet which last eruption was in May.
Marcello Paternostro / AFP - Getty Images
Lava spewed from a crater of the giant Etna volcano in the southern Italy island of Sicily on Saturday.
See more volcano images on PhotoBlog here.
Indonesia's Mount Bromo continues to erupt
According to the AP, Mount Bromo in Probolinggo, East Java, has seen a rise in volcanic activity in the past few days as consecutive eruptions spew thick grey plumes into the air. The authorities have set Mount Bromo's status at 'standby', not allowing people to get any closer than about a mile. The 2,329-meter peak is a popular tourist destination. The Mount Bromo explosion in 2004 killed two people, and injured five others. Indonesia has about 500 volcanoes, nearly 130 of them active and 68 classified as dangerous. See more photos of the volcano erupting from Dec. 2010.
Trisnadi / AP
In this photo made with a slow shutter speed, Mount Bromo is seen spitting volcanic materials, as seen from Cemara Lawang village, East Java, Indonesia, on Friday, March 11, 2011.
Trisnadi / AP
A villager carries her child as Mount Bromo is seen spewing volcanic materials as it erupts in Cemara Lawang village, East Java, Indonesia, on Friday, March 11, 2011.
Fully Handoko / EPA
Molten magma spews from the top of the mountain during an eruption of Mount Bromo near Ngadisari Village, Probolinggo, East Java, Indonesia on March 11, 2011.
Hawaiian volcano spews lava 65 feet high
Tim Wright / AP
Lava flows on the Pu'u O'o crater on Kilauea volcano in Hawaii on Sunday.
Tim Wright / AP
Scientists fly in a helicopter above the Pu'u O'o vent on Kilauea volcano on Sunday. Scientists say the Pu'u O'o crater floor has collapsed and an eruption occurred along the middle of Kilauea Volcano's east rift zone. Scientists at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory say after a fissure broke out around 5 p.m. Saturday, lava was seen erupting up to 65 feet high.
USGS via AFP - Getty Images
Lava pours from the Pu'u O'o vent on Kilauea volcano on Sunday. Scientists say the Pu'u O'o crater floor has collapsed and an eruption occurred along Kilauea's eastern rift zone.
A new vent has opened in the Kilauea volcano on the Big Island, shooting fiery lava 65 feet into the air. TODAY's Natalie Morales has more details.
Full story: Lava spews 65 feet high after crater collapse
Antonio Parrinello / Reuters
Mount Etna spews lava on the southern Italian island of Sicily, Jan. 13. Mount Etna is Europe's tallest and most active volcano.
Bruce Omori / EPA
Lava surrounds the home of Gary Sleik and ignites the staircase, in Kalapana Gardens, Hawaii, on July 25. Having been under the constant threat of lava flows for the past three years, Sleik had resigned to fact that his home would be taken by the lava at some point.
Inevitability
I don't think I could have waited for three years knowing it would end like this.