Halemaumau Crater has been putting on a show like this since March 2008.
"She might be the most continuously erupting volcano in the world," says Cindy Orlando, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park Superintendent.
Day after day tons of sulfur dioxide spew from the summit vent. Scientists have found a way to measure how much of and how fast the white stuff is being released.
"It has instruments on it that record the amount of Sulfur-Dioxide (SO2) that is being emitted by Kilauea summit plume," says Jeff Sutton, Gas Geochemist, USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.
The chemical sensors are placed on top of this car and a willing volunteer drives thru the white plumes of gas.
"So by driving underneath the plume and looking up thru it we can measure the amount of SO2 that's above our heads and if we know how fast the wind is blowing, we can determine the amount of tons of SO2 that is coming out of Kilauea summit," says Sutton.
As much as 1,000 tons a day of SO2 emissions have been recorded from Halemaumau crater. But the towers of toxic gas aren't the only thing catching the eye of scientists.
"This is Pele's hair which has been erupted from the summit vent," shows Tim Orr, Geologist USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.
The thin, golden strands are spun glass from Inside the summit - blown from the vent and catching onto rocks and curves of the road nearby.
"So seeing this come out tells us there's a lava pond here," says Orr.
The strands can be used to find the temperature and chemistry of the molten rock below. It's that magma that rises and falls inside Kilauea volcano. And scientists use a "tiltmeter" to measure that change and figure out when the volcano might erupt.
"So we have around the summit here of Kilauea 4 of these instruments, that are measuring tilt of the ground," says Matt Patrick, Geologist USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.
All tools of the trade to monitor mother nature.
Scientists have no idea when it might be safe again for the public to return to Halemaumau Summit vent.
