Kīlauea's summit is restless, and two caldera trails are closed
The release explains exactly which areas are off-limits and why the summit could change quickly.
Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park closed Halemaʻumaʻu Trail and part of Byron Ledge Trail, 1.3 miles in all, on October 7 because of continued inflation and increased earthquakes at Kīlauea's summit. The USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory counted more than 200 shallow earthquakes in a week; a magnitude 3.4 quake on September 30 caused small rockfalls, and new cracks opened on the caldera floor. Both trails descend from the rim to the floor and have seen dangerous rockfalls before. Viewing areas on the Keanakākoʻi side closed the week before. Scientists say lava fountains could resume; the last eruption was August 25.
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Halemaʻumaʻu
After exploring Uncertainty at Kīlauea Summit Prompts Safety Closures in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, the crater at the center of this is Halemaʻumaʻu.
A pit crater in Kīlauea's summit caldera that roughly doubled in size after collapses in 2018, leaving its floor about 600 meters below the caldera floor. In Hawaiian tradition it is home to Pele, goddess of fire and volcanoes.
Wikipedia · Swim · 30 min
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