Hawai'i Volcano Blog

There is much to appreciate about the ongoing Kīlauea summit eruption as it approaches its 6-month anniversary on June 23. The stunning episodic lava fountains and lava flows erupting within Halemaʻumaʻu crater in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park have provided island residents and visitors with safe and accessible viewing opportunities. However, volcanic hazards are always present. 

The rescue team from Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park were managing eruption traffic and able to respond quickly, rappelling down the heavily vegetated cliff face to hoist the man to safety.

All current and recent eruption activity of Kīlauea is within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park.

Episode No. 25 of the ongoing eruption of the Big Island volcano that began in late December is forecast to begin Wednesday or Thursday, but there is a chance of high fountaining later today.

Recently, something has been observed “dancing” above the active eruptive vents inside Halemaʻumaʻu…Hydrogen flames!

Vigorous degassing of sulfur dioxide, nighttime glow and intermittent lava spattering in the north vent indicate that magma is close to the surface of Kīlauea.

The chemical detected is 1-chloro-4-(trifluoromethyl)-benzene (PCBTF) within the Volcano Catchment Chlorinator, which is owned by the U.S. Department of the Interior. PCBTF is an industrial solvent that is currently not regulated in drinking water, meaning there is no established federal or state maximum contaminant level or state environmental action level.

Record-setting lava fountain and plume heights were reached during Episode 23 of the Kīlauea summit caldera eruption. Given increasing airborne hazards associated with each new eruptive episode, Hawaiian Volcano Observatory is changing its episode notification types.

Legendary observation deck at Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park steeped in history and centuries of Hawaiian tradition reopen and ready to welcome back visitors 7 years after it was closed.

Lava fountains reach more than 1,000 feet, volcanic plume soars at least 5,000 feet before most recent phase of eruptive activity — that teased for several days — abruptly ends after just 6 hours and 10 minutes Sunday night.

As enthralling as each eruptive episode is, experts at the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory watch just as closely at what’s happening between episodes.

Most recent eruptive episode of the ongoing eruption in Halemaʻumaʻu Crater within Kaluapele, the summit caldera of the Big Island volcano, ended at 3:29 p.m. Friday, 10 hours and 16 minutes after another awesome display of high fountaining began.

Dive beneath the solidified crust on the Halemaʻumaʻu Crater floor in this week’s edition of “Volcano Watch” to explore the complicated mix of molten material below.

Episode 21 of the ongoing episodic eruption of Halemaʻumaʻu Crater at Kaluapele, the Big Island volcano’s summit caldera, ended at 8:34 p.m. Sunday, on Mother’s Day 2025.

Hawaiian Volcano Observatory remains steadfast and vigilant as lava fountaining episodes continue at the summit of the Big Island’s Kīlauea volcano, maintaining its monitoring and livestreaming of the volcano to document the eruption’s evolution, inform hazard assessments and apprise the public of ongoing volcanic activity.

Latest episode of sustained geisers of molten rock in Halemaʻumaʻu Crater at the Big Island volcano’s summit was shortest since eruption began Dec. 23, 2024.

The earthquake was at a depth of 19 miles below the sea and had no apparent impact on either Mauna Loa or Kīlauea volcanoes, according to the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.

Hawaiian Volcanoes Observatory continues to closely monitor Kīlauea and will issue an eruption update tomorrow morning unless there are significant changes before then

Health officials encourage the public to keep a close eye on Hawaiʻi air quality data as volcanic gas emissions remain elevated. Air quality can change quickly, depending on the amount of gas being released from the Big Island volcano, wind direction and other weather conditions.

Geophysical instruments recorded many major, and even subtle, details the night of the 2022 Mauna Loa eruption onset. In this week’s “Volcano Watch,” explore some of these monitoring data observations that offer clues as to what was happening beneath the surface.