New small summit eruptions recorded at Kilauea

HAWAII -- There have been two new small explosive eruptions at the summit of Kilauea volcano on Hawaii's Big Island.

Ash plumes late Monday afternoon and early Tuesday morning didn't exceed 10,000 feet (3,048 meters), officials say any danger from ash fallout would be near the summit or to the communities to the southwest of wind carries the plume that way.

U.S. Geological Survey geophysicist Mike Poland says there are near continuous low-level ash emissions from the summit.

He says that pattern "is about par for the course" right now.

Besides explosive eruptions from the summit, Kilauea is oozing lava into neighborhoods about 25 miles (40 kilometers) away.

Some lava over the weekend began flowing into the ocean and generated plumes of lava haze.

That prompted safety warnings about toxic gas on the Big Island's southern coastline.