Kilauea volcano once reigned a destructive path down on Hawaii’s Big Island, coating the island in a thick layer of viscous lava.
Hawaii is still recovering from the constant barrage of flame and liquid basalt, now currently cooling as people remain evacuated from the area.
Kilauea’s three-month period of serious eruption saw a new kilometre of land spring forth as a result, adding to the island’s volcanic roots.
Now, the volcano has begun to calm down, reaching near base levels of activity, but it could erupt again at any minute.
Has Kilauea finally stopped erupting?
Kilauea began its latest eruptive pattern over 30 years ago in 1983, and hasn’t stopped since then.
The latest activity started on May 4, and has only just begun to calm down now.
Warning levels for the volcano have been downgraded as a result, with an aviation warning at ‘Orange’ and an alert level of ‘Watch’.
Kilauea is now apparently at its lowest activity levels since 2007, indicating a major change.
According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS) Seismicity and ground deformation are now ‘negligible’ at Kilauea’s summit.
The only visible activity at Kilauea is apparently at the summit, where a small lava pond was spotted on the morning of August 25, which has since disappeared.
USGS has also reported that a single ‘dribble’ of lava entering the ocean, where lava once quickly flowed in.
Sulphur Oxide and other gas emissions are also at their lowest point since 2007, indicating minimal risk.
However, while the current quiet is acknowledged, the Hawaii Civil Defence Service is urging caution.
In a recent announcement, the service wrote: “While eruptive activity is minimal at this time, hazards remain.
“It is common for eruptions to go through periods of diminished output, or to pause completely, only to reactivate days, weeks, or even months later.
“Re-activation could occur at any time, with little to no warning.”
The latest threat to Hawaii’s Big Island came in the form of Hurricane Lane, which could have spurred the volcano back into action.
However, the activity as a result of the hurricane was minimal, with increased steaming as a result of rain on heat, and minor rockfalls.
As USGS continues monitoring however, some surprises could occur as the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) lost some communications.
The latest weather hampered some communication stations, and meant that some crews were unable to go out, but USGS have said they will continue to monitor the situation.