Nearly 1,500 residents were ordered to evacuate after Kilauea volcano erupted in Hawaii late Thursday afternoon and released lava into a residential area. 

A crack in Kilauea volcano's rift zone erupted, spurting lava in Leilani Estates, a subdivision in the lower East Rift Zone of Kilauea volcano. Volcano officials said they couldn't predict how long the eruption might last. The eruption occurred hours after a 5.0 magnitude earthquake hit the Big Island. Kilauea’s Puu Oo’ cone has been continuously erupting since 1983.

We speak to a Honolulu reporter and a volcanologist for more on the past and present of Kilauea.

Guests:

Ku'uwehi Hiraishi, reporter for Hawaii Public Radio KHPR who is reporting from the Big Island in Hawaii

Wendy Stovall, deputy scientist-in-charge at the U.S.Geological Survey’s Yellowstone Volcano Observatory; she studied Kilauea in Hawaii from 2005-2009