Molten rock began shooting from the volcano before dawn on Monday when fissures opened in the caldera floor and propelled lava 295 feet (90 meters) into the air. The red liquid formed tall fountains and then spread across 650 acres (263 hectares). The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory estimated the lava was about 1 yard (1 meter) thick.

Lava spewed from the Kilauea Volcano's summit caldera in Hawaii on December 23. Footage shows the molten rocks forming a fountain in the southwest part of Kaluapele caldera. The USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said the eruption began earlier that day and covered 650 acres of caldera floor.