Hawaii's spectacular volcano eruption
When one of the world's most active volcanoes rumbles, lava rockets several stories into the air
The video: The collapse of a crater on Kilauea, a volcano on Hawaii's big island, has sent lava shooting up to 65 feet in the air. (See video below.) Unlike most volcanoes, Kilauea does not have a traditional cone-shaped top; instead, it stretches out over a broad area and, on Saturday, scientists at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory observed that the crater's collapse had opened up a fissure two miles away, near the volcano's eastern ridge. No people or homes are in any immediate danger. Kilauea has been in a constant state of low-level eruption since January 3, 1983, and may be the world's most active volcano. Still, dramatic eruptions like this one remain rare.
The reaction: This is so exciting, especially since we've been able to watch it from the start, volcanologist Janet Babb told a Hawaiian radio station, as quoted by CBS News. "Mother Nature really is the greatest reality star of all," says Brian Moylan at Gawker. Watch the stunning video:
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