Hawaii's Kilauea Volcano Sees A Mesmerizing River Of Lava

Can't. Look. Away.

Need a reminder of Mother Nature's might? Then, boy, do we have the video for you.

A large lava breakout began early Thursday morning from the Puʻu ʻŌʻō cone of Kilauea volcano on the southeast part of Hawaii's Big Island.

In the footage above, the glowing breakout is seen flowing through a landscape of black lava rock, on the northeast flank of Puʻu ʻŌʻō.

Kilauea is one of the world's most active volcanoes, and Puʻu ʻŌʻō in particular has been continuously erupting for more than 32 years.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey's daily Kilauea updates, the lava initially broke out on Thursday around 1 a.m. local time. The breakout stemmed from a lava tube currently feeding other flows further to the northeast.

"It is too soon to tell how important this breakout is or if it will affect the vigor of the distant flows to the northeast," the USGS wrote in Thursday's update. The flow remained active into Thursday evening, but has since stalled.

For those who live on the Big Island, lava flows are an accepted and, at times, trying part of life. Last year, for instance, the small rural community of Pahoa was threatened by a flow that burned one house down.

Videographer Mick Kalber, who captured the footage above, told Big Island Video News that the breakout was about 3 miles from residential communities.

While USGS is monitoring it closely, the flow does not currently pose a threat to Big Island communities. According to Christina Neal, Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientist-in-charge, this breakout was simply a "burp of lava."

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