The almost two-week eruption of a Hawaii volcano, one of the most active in the world, has come to a pause, scientists say.
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After a three-month hiatus, Kilauea began erupting again on June 7, displaying fountains of glowing red lava without threatening any communities or structures.
Crowds of people flocked to the Big Island's Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, which offered safe views of the lava.
Scientists declared the eruption paused again Monday when it rapidly declined in the afternoon, the US Geological Survey's Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said.
Still, some lava continued to flow on the crater floor, which could continue for days as the lava cooled, the observatory said, adding that scientists would continue to monitor the volcano.
On Tuesday afternoon, only small, faint pockets of red could be seen on the USGS live stream that showed bright bursts of lava on the eruption's first day.
The previous night, park rangers could still see lava through cracks on the hardened surface of the lava lake, which provided "still pretty good viewing", park spokeswoman Jessica Ferracane said.
Kilauea, Hawaii's second-largest volcano, erupted from September 2021 until December.
For about two weeks in December, Hawaii's biggest volcano, Mauna Loa, was also erupting on the Big Island.
After a short pause, Kilauea began erupting again in January.
That eruption lasted for 61 days, ending in March.
A 2018 Kilauea eruption destroyed more than 700 homes.
Australian Associated Press
