Todays hot news is a new vent opening up on the Big Island of Hawaii over the weekend. There is some spectacular footage of this new eruption as it started, following a collapse of the Pu'u O'o crater.
This photo shows the very start of the eruption, helicopter for scale, the fissue opened up on saturday after the level of Lava in Pu'u O'o dropped nearly 100m from its previous level. The National Park is now closed until further notice as the fissure has developed to nearly 500m long. This is a fairly rare event and allows scientists to monitor the development of a new volcanic centre.
Over 150 small earthquakes have been recorded at the site, and no homes are at threat, the island has been in continuous eruption since 1983 and is well used to its volcanic hazard. The most significant threats are the potentially high concentrations of sulphur dioxide, which pose the most risk to scientists and those observing the lava, the eruption has already slowed but here are some more shots of the lava and a video of some spectacular lava falls.
Video!
more awesome footage of bubbling basalt:
Worth keeping an eye on the news to see how this event develops.
Millie
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