Kilauea volcano: Flight warning as rare ‘gas pistoning’ phenomenon sees lava shoot 300m into air

After nearly six months of activity, one of the most famous volcanoes in the world, Kilauea, has erupted violently, spewing lava more than 300 metres into the air and causing authorities to raise the threat level for aviation.

The lava bursts are producing monster blankets of smoke and ash that are drifting for kilometres into the sky, causing aviation authorities to issue the Code: Orange warning alert for airlines flying in and out of Hawaii.

Incredible scenes are being recorded on the Big Island as the volcano’s north vent spews lava fountains into the sky with such force, they are producing an uncommon phenomenon called gas-pistoning.

This is where gas accumulates beneath or within a column of lava, pushing it upwards like a piston and eventually leading to an explosive release of the gas and lava.

Expert scientists with the US Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said the latest eruption — the 25th time since last Christmas — is only the beginning of what they believe will be bigger explosions in weeks to come.

The Code: Orange alert for public and private air travel and is now in effect for companies and pilots as they prepare for more eruptions.

Aviation authorities have been monitoring the situation and travellers may soon be subjected to a temporary halt of flights if the airborne ash clouds continue to build, or if the eruption level is deemed unsafe.

Days before the latest lava burst, local geologists noted there presence of gas-pistoning.

The Volcano Observatory said this could be a precursor to a much larger event.

“Eventually, gas escapes as splatter/lava is erupted, and lava drains back into the vent,” the Observatory said.

The piston bursts became more frequent with up to 10 per hour and this then increased in intensity until a dome fountain began to feed flowing lava into the crater.

“The vigor of activity continued to increase and lava fountains from the north vent reached heights of more than 1000 feet (305 metres),” the Volcano Observatory noted.

“A small fountain, less than 50 metres high, started to erupt from the south vent. Lava fountains continued to erupt from both vents, feeding large lava flows that covered parts of Halema’uma’u crater floor,” they added.