A new vent at Kilauea's summit crater (Halemaumau) erupts ash and steam in the dawn. Snowcapped Mauna Loa Volcano, the largest on Earth, looms in the background. Kilauea, one of the world's most active volcanoes, has been in near continuous eruption since January 3, 1983. Kilauea's current east rift zone eruption began in 1983 making it the longest lived continuous eruption in historical times. On March 12, 2008 a brand new steam and ash spitting vent opened up in the walls of the summit caldera of Kilauea called Halemaumau.