LOS ANGELES, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. state of Hawaii's Kilauea volcano started erupting on Sunday, with lava flows currently confined to the surrounding crater floor, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).
The eruption, the third one of the volcano this year, started at around 3:15 p.m. Sunday local time (0115 GMT Monday), according to the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.
The observatory observed eruptive activity in Kilauea summit webcam images and from field reports indicating that an eruption has commenced in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. The eruption was preceded by a period of strong seismicity and rapid uplift of the summit, according to the observatory.
The observatory elevated Kilauea's volcano alert level from watch to warning, and its aviation color code from orange to red as the eruption and associated hazards were evaluated.
Hawaii County Civil Defense released an alert shortly after the eruption, stating the eruption is confined within the Halemaumau crater at the Kilauea summit, and no communities are threatened at this time.
Located in a closed area of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Kilauea is one of the world's most active volcanoes. The volcano erupted in January and June.
