Hawaii Volcano Spews Lava

A new vent opened in a Hawaii volcano Saturday, spewing lava some 80 feet in the air, scientists say. The fissure near Kilauea volcano’s Puu Oo crater in the Big Island’s Hawaii Volcanoes National Park expanded to a whopping 1.4 miles in length yesterday with lava eruptions all along it, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reports. The vent opened after the crater’s floor collapsed at least 377 feet, kicking up a cloud of ash and fumes. A spokesperson says this eruption is similar to one in 1997—but that one didn't pass the 24-hour mark. (More Hawaii stories.)