Hawaii’s Kīlauea volcano has once again erupted, sending fountains of lava soaring 400 feet (122 meters) into the air.
The spectacular display Tuesday captivated residents and visitors alike.
The molten rock remained safely contained within the volcano’s summit caldera, located inside Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, and authorities confirmed there was no threat to nearby homes.
This latest display marks the 37th such eruption since the current activity began last December.
Typically, each eruptive episode lasts approximately a day or less, followed by a pause of several days, with sporadic spattering preceding the main event since Friday.
In some cases, Kīlauea’s lava towers have soared as high as skyscrapers.
The volcano has generated such tall fountains in part because magma — which holds gases that are released as it rises — has been traveling to the surface through narrow, pipelike vents.
Kīlauea is on Hawaii Island, the largest of the Hawaiian archipelago. It is about 200 miles (322 kilometers) south of the state’s largest city, Honolulu, which is on Oahu.
It is one of the world’s most active volcanoes and one of six active volcanoes in Hawaii.
Park Service volunteer Janice Wei rushes to capture photos and videos of Halemaumau Crater whenever an eruption begins.
Native Hawaiian tradition holds that this crater is the sacred home of the volcano goddess Pele.
Wei describes the sound of the molten rock, as it shoots skyward like a fountain, as akin to a roaring jet engine or crashing ocean waves, noting she can feel its intense heat from over a mile away.
“Every eruption feels like I am sitting in the front row at nature’s most extraordinary show,” Wei shared in an email.
While a select few residents and visitors witness the spectacle firsthand at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, hundreds of thousands more are expected to tune into popular livestreams every time the volcano erupts.
