Hawai'i Volcano Blog

Video and slideshow: Kīlaueaʻs spectacular lava show from June 7 eruption on Hawaiʻi Island

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On Wednesday, news broke around the world that Kīlauea was erupting again. For those of us on the Big Island, it happened at 4:44 a.m.

Some Hawaiʻi island residents heard about the eruption during a radio public announcement from the voice of Hawaiʻi County Civil Defense Agency’s Darryl Oliveira.

The good news soon came from scientists at Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. They said this eruption occurred in the Halemaʻumaʻu Crater, and was expected to stay there and not threaten people and property on the slopes of the 4,000-foot volcano.

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Many people are still recovering from the devastating 2018 eruption of Kīlauea, which destroyed more than 700 structures and 30 miles of roadway, and displaced more than 2,000 people on its march to the ocean.

On Wednesday, people immediately began to flock to Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park to see the full glory of the lava show. 

  • Visitors check out the most recent Kīlauea eruption at the Halemaʻumaʻu crater near the Volcano House on June 7. (Megan Moseley/Big island Now)
  • Visitors check out the most recent Kīlauea eruption at the Halemaʻumaʻu crater near the Volcano House on June 7, 2023. (Megan Moseley/Big Island Now)
  • Diners talk story at Uncle George’s Lounge at The Volcano House on June 7, 2023 while Kīlauea was erupting. (Megan Moseley/Big Island Now)
  • Visitors watch the Kīlauea eruption from a lookout inside Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park on June 7, 2023. (Megan Moseley/Big Island Now)
  • Visitors watch Kīlauea erupting on June 7, 2023 at a lookout inside Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park. Officials are promoting responsible tourism and directing guests to stay within viewing areas. (Megan Moseley/Big Island Now)
  • Kīlauea erupts on June 7, 2023. (Megan Moseley/Big island Now)
  • View of the Kīlauea eruption from inside the Volcano House at Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park on June 7, 2023. (Megan Moseley/Big Island Now)
  • Visitors watch the Kīlauea eruption from a lookout inside Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park on June 7, 2023. (Megan Moseley/Big Island Now)
  • Kīlauea erupts on June 7, 2023. (Megan Moseley/Big island Now)
  • Kīlauea erupts on June 7, 2023. (Megan Moseley/Big island Now)
  • Kīlauea erupts on June 7, 2023. (Megan Moseley/Big island Now)
  • Kīlauea erupts on June 7, 2023. (Megan Moseley/Big island Now)
  • Kīlauea erupts on June 7, 2023. (Megan Moseley/Big island Now)
  • Visitors watch the Kīlauea eruption from a lookout inside Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park on June 7, 2023. (Megan Moseley/Big Island Now)
  • Kīlauea erupts on June 7, 2023. (Megan Moseley/Big island Now)
  • Visitors watch the Kīlauea eruption from a lookout inside Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park on June 7, 2023. (Megan Moseley/Big Island Now)
  • Visitors watch the Kīlauea eruption from a lookout inside Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park on June 7, 2023. (Megan Moseley/Big Island Now)
  • Visitors watch the Kīlauea eruption from a lookout inside Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park on June 7, 2023. (Megan Moseley/Big Island Now)
  • Kīlauea erupts on June 7, 2023. (Megan Moseley/Big island Now)
  • Kīlauea erupts on June 7, 2023. (Megan Moseley/Big island Now)
  • Andy Ornberg, park ranger at the Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park, tells tourists the best places to watch the Kīlauea eruption on June 7, 2023. (Megan Moseley/Big Island Now)
  • The Kīlauea eruption on June 7, 2023, put on a show inside the Halemaʻumaʻu crater. (Photo: Kimberly Bishop)
  • Kīlauea’s summit eruption that started on June 7, 2023, is expected to continue and remain confined to Halemaʻumaʻu crater within Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park.   (U.S. Geological Survey)
  • Only hours after Kīlauea began erupting at 4:44 a.m. on June 7, 2023, crowds were showing up at Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island to see it. (Megan Moseley/Big Island Now)
  • Only hours after Kīlauea began erupting at 4:44 a.m. on June 7, 2023, crowds were showing up at Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island to see it. (Megan Moseley/Big Island Now)
  • Only hours after Kīlauea began erupting at 4:44 a.m. on June 7, 2023, crowds were showing up at Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island to see it. (Megan Moseley/Big Island Now)
  • Only hours after Kīlauea began erupting at 4:44 a.m. on June 7, 2023, crowds were showing up at Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island to see it. (Megan Moseley/Big Island Now)
  • Only hours after Kīlauea began erupting at 4:44 a.m. on June 7, 2023, crowds were showing up at Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island to see it. (Megan Moseley/Big Island Now)
  • Only hours after Kīlauea began erupting at 4:44 a.m. on June 7, 2023, crowds were showing up at Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island to see it. (Megan Moseley/Big Island Now)
  • Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park Ranger Andy Ornberg said a good time to see the eruption is at night, and after 10 p.m. when the crowds are lighter. June 7, 2023 (Megan Moseley/Big Island Now)
  • Kīlauea erupts on June 7, 2023, with lava confined to the Halemaʻumaʻu Crater. (Hawaiian Volcano Observatory)
  • Kīlauea erupts on June 7, 2023, with lava confined to the Halemaʻumaʻu Crater. (Hawaiian Volcano Observatory)
  • Halemaʻumaʻu crater and lava lake from the crater rim on June 7, 2023. (USGS)
  • Thermal image of Halemaʻumaʻu crater and lava lake during eruption the morning of June 7, 2023. (USGS)
  • The sun comes up over Kīlauea as the volcano erupts at 6:08 a.m. on June 7, 2023. It began erupting about 4:44 a.m. (Webcam USGS)
  • Kīlauea erupts on June 7, 2023, with lava confined to the Halemaʻumaʻu Crater. (Hawaiian Volcano Observatory)
  • Kīlauea erupts on June 7, 2023, with lava confined to the Halemaʻumaʻu Crater. (Hawaiian Volcano Observatory)
  • Only hours after Kīlauea began erupting at 4:44 a.m. on June 7, 2023, crowds were showing up at Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island to see it. (Megan Moseley/Big Island Now)

At 10 a.m., there already was a line of cars waiting to get into the park, and slowly, one by one, each car entered in hopes of finding a parking spot to capture a glimpse of Pele in action. The parking lot of the Visitor’s Center was nearly full, with cars lining the roads in either direction and hikers walking fast around the crater rim. 

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At Uēkahuna, located above the steep clips of Kaluapele — the caldera of Kīlauea, visitors took selfies and soaked in one the world’s most natural wonders.

Park ranger Andy Orbnerg informed visitors there were better views (and parking) along the crater rim. At other lookouts around the park — which is bigger than the island of Oʻahu — people were packed in side-by-side like sardines as they tried to look into the crater and get photos and video.

Throughout Wednesday, the Volcano House and park were continuously busy with guests and tourists coming and going all day long. Hour-long waits to get a table at the restaurant and full parking lots became the norm into the evening. 

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Once night hit and the sun set, and the reddish-orange glow from Halemaʻumaʻu could be seen better against the dark sky, more and more visitors started to trickle in to see the show. Excited conversations took place as children played in the glow of Pele and the lava flow entranced onlookers into the night. 

Please see the Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park website for visitor information: https://www.nps.gov/havo/index.htm. Visitors to Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park should note that under southerly (non-trade) wind conditions, there is potential for a dusting of powdery to gritty ash composed of volcanic glass and rock fragments. These ashfalls represent a minor hazard, but visitors should be aware that such dustings at areas around the Kīlauea summit are possible. 

Megan Moseley
Megan Moseley is a full-time journalist for Pacific Media Group. Her experience ranges from long and short-form reporting to print, digital, radio and television news coverage. In Hawaiʻi, she's worked for local media outlets and has covered a wide range of topics including local and state politics, environmental affairs, Native Hawaiian issues, travel, tourism and education. She covers the West for Restaurant Hospitality.

She's a 2010 graduate of the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University, with a Bachelor's of Science degree in Magazine Journalism and specializations in Geology and History. She's currently working on her master's degree from New York University and Ohio University and is focused on conflict resolution and peace practices in indigenous cultures in the Pacific.
Megan can be reached at megan.moseley@pmghawaii.com.
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