A giant crack about 500 feet long formed directly in the lower elevation neighborhood of Leilani subdivision, which has a population of about 1,500. From the crack, lava was shooting to heights of up to 100 feet like a fountain — as if a garden hose filled with running water had been spliced along its length, said U.S. Geological Survey volcanologist Wendy Stovall, an expert on Kilauea.
Residents of the community of Leilani Estates — about 25 miles east of the volcano's highest point — on Wednesday reported cracks on the ground, but it was Thursday that red lava could be seen gushing out.
Late Thursday, Stovall said the lava flows erupted for about two hours, and the USGS said the flows had paused by about 6:30 p.m. local time (9:30 p.m. PDT). During that time, lava traveled less than about 33 feet from the crack.
