(BIVN) – The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory has released what they are calling a “spectacular” movie clip of a draining event in the lava pond within Kilauea’s Halemaʻumaʻu vent.

The Big Island volcano has harbored a sloshing, bubbling lava pond in its summit vent for months.

According to the HVO, the video filmed on December 28 shows a lava column which “exhibited cycles of filling and draining of the vent cavity, with each cycle lasting a few minutes. As the pond drains, lava cascades into a small hole on the east side (right) of the cavity floor. Also, lava that was covering a large bench to the west of the main pond drains back, with large plates of crust sliding over the edge.”

In the daily volcano update, the HVO says a DI deflation started on December 29. At the summit, scientists report that lava receded deeper below the bottom of the deep pit inset within the crater floor but still provided weak glow from the pit overnight.

The video is released just as Hawaii Volcanoes National Park gears up to celebrate Volcano Awareness Month in January. The park, in cooperation with HVO, Hawaii County Civil Defense, and the University of Hawaii at Hilo, will sponsor various programs and activities to promote increased awareness of and respect for the volcanoes on the Big Island of Hawaii.