Kilauea Volcano Is Back in Business

One of the world's most active volcanoes is back in action. The Kilauea volcano at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is spewing lava once again, reports the AP, the seventh recorded episode in recent weeks. The eruption that began Dec. 23 in a crater at Kilauea's summit has paused periodically. It resumed Monday, preceded by small, sporadic spatter fountains that continued to increase intensity to reach "sustained fountaining," the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said. Fountains on the north side are 100 to 120 feet high and feeding multiple lava streams, the observatory said, and a small fountain can be seen on the south side with a small lava flow emerging.

Each episode since Dec. 23 has continued for 13 hours to eight days, the observatory said. The pauses have lasted less than 24 hours to 12 days. The current episode will probably last 10 to 20 hours, the observatory said. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park encompasses the summits of two of the world's most active volcanoes: Kilauea and Mauna Loa. The eruption is visible from many public overlooks in the park. The lava is not posing a hazard to homes or infrastructure.

(More Kilauea volcano stories.)