Mount Kilauea Lava
(IN PHOTO) The lava flow from the Kilauea Volcano is seen downslope of the house that burned on November 10 in this U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) handout photo taken near the village of Pahoa, Hawaii, November 13, 2014. The slow-moving lava flow continues to move near a transfer station at an industrial complex on Thursday, three days after the flow destroyed its first home. Picture taken November 13, 2014. Reuters

The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, or HVO, reports that the rising lava on Mount Kilauea was just 13 feet away from the crater’s rim. That is a warning sign that the most active of all volcanoes in Hawaii’s Big Island could erupt.

Inferse reports that on Saturday, the lava reached almost 13 feet from the rim, but it went down to 20 feet on Sunday. The fluctuation has concerned scientists because the average lava lake level of Kilauea the last few years was between 100 and 200 feet below the crater.

The lava lake started to rise on April 21, reports States Chronicle. HVO experts warned that seismic risks below Kilauea and at the upper East and Southwest Rift Zones are still high.

The agency also warned that the lava inside the lake could threaten the health of people in the island due to its release of sulfur dioxide gas that causes volcanic smog in the air. Last week, the volcano released between 3,000 and 5,200 tonnes of sulfur dioxide gas daily, said HVO.

However, tourists are attracted by Kilauea. Local and foreign visitors go to the viewing deck of Jagger Museum where they could hear the crash of rocks from the volcano. In 2014, almost 1.7 million tourists visited Hawaii and spent almost $137 million, according to the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

Measuring 4,100 metres above sea level, Kilauea’s last eruption was in March 2008 after 84 years of hibernation. But that explosion was believed to be caused by hydrothermal or gas factors since there was no powerful earthquake or lava release.

To contact the writer, email: v.hernandez@ibtimes.com.au

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