VIDEO/PHOTOS: Officials have started to lower alert levels within Hawaii Volcanoes National Park after the Kilauea volcano began to erupt early Monday morning in an area that hasn’t seen an eruption in nearly 50 years. According to an alert from the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO), the Volcano Alert Level for ground-based hazards was raised from watch to warning, and the Aviation Color Code was changed from orange to red after the new eruption began around 12:30 a.m. local time (6:30 a.m. ET). About 8:30 a.m. local time (2:30 p.m. ET), the USGS lowered the Volcano Alert Level to a watch and the Aviation Color Code to orange. Scientists said the remote nature and low volume of the eruption prompted a lowering of alerts.