Tourist captures video of exploding Hawaii volcano

KILAUEA VOLCANO, Hawaii -- A Utah tourist captured video of an exploding volcano in Hawaii that sent molten lava and rocks flying through the air.

Diane Ririe, who was visiting her parents in Kailua-Kona, shot the video of the Halemaumau Crater on Hawaii's Kilauea volcano.

The explosion was caused by the partial collapse of a crater wall into the lava pit, which then spit up a mushroom cloud of gas and debris.

At the summit of Kilauea is the volcanoes caldera. Within that caldera is the Halema'uma'u crater and within that crater is a lake of lava that is
just seven feet away from overflowing into the crater.

Ririe's parents live in Kailua-Kona so she's been to Kilauea volcano several times. But, this time, she had just arrived and said she had a feeling something was going to happen and immediately started filming.

Within seconds, the crater rim came crashing down dunking into the lava pit and spit up a mushroom cloud of gas and debris.

"This will stick with me for life. It sure will," said Ririe. "I've always had a tremendous respect for the earth and for the volcano, but I even do more so now than ever."