At 9:06 a.m. , an explosive ash plume rose from Hale-ma'uma'u Crate...

At 9:06 a.m. HST, an explosive ash plume rose from Hale-ma'uma'u Crater. This reddish plume was probably caused by rockfalls rather than an interaction with ground water. The reddish color of the plume is likely due to the alteration of iron exposed to the atmosphere in dust lying on the crater bottom. This material was blown into the explosion plume producing a pink or salmon colored cloud.