Kilauea Volcano Erupts on Hawaii’s Big Island, Sending Ash Cloud Into Sky

Who had volcanic eruption in their apocalyptic predictions for 2020? The Kilauea volcano on Hawaii’s Big Island has erupted again, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, sending a huge cloud of ash into the air and triggering a 4.4-magnitude earthquake. In a statement confirming the eruption and the quake, the USGS said the situation is “rapidly evolving” and that it would provide more information when possible. Hawaii’s Emergency Management Agency warned residents to “stay indoors to avoid ash exposure” and said there was no known tsunami threat. USGS webcams showed the cloud of ash over the volcano. A lake that had formed near the crater quickly vaporized. The 2018 Kilauea explosion overran a nearby geothermal plant and displaced hundreds of residents, while also leading to a tourism boom full of official-warning-avoiding lava chasers.