‘Episode V: The Volcano Strikes Back’

“Episode V: The Volcano Strikes Back.”

That’s the moniker one person chatting in the livestream at about 4:30 p.m. Wednesday afternoon bestowed upon the new episode of eruptive activity underway at Kīlauea as lava fountained from a vent in Halema’uma’u Crater to heights estimated by others in the chat to be about 40 to 50 feet.

The ongoing episodic eruption of the Big Island volcano within Kaluapele, its summit caldera, began its fifth eruptive event at about 3 p.m. after a fourth pause in activity started Jan. 18 and lasted about 4 days.

Hawaiian Volcano Observatory reported shortly before 4 p.m. in a volcano status report that the fifth eruptive event started with small spatter fountains and lava flows.

Activity at the time of the observatory’s report included small dome fountains of 16 to 33 feet high that were feeding a short lava flow from the north vent. Lava continued to flow into the crater from the fountain as of just before 5 p.m. as per the livestream.

Weak, intermittent spatter was observed earlier in the day but sustained effusive activity did not begin until just before 3 p.m. There are no signs of activity at the south vent.

Seismic tremor increased at the same time effusion began.

The tiltmeter at Uēkahuna also continued to record inflation beneath Halemaʻumaʻu at the time of the status report but was expected to transition to deflation as this eruptive episode continues.

Each episode of fountaining since the eruption began during the early morning of Dec. 23, 2024, has continued for 14 hours to 8 days and episodes have been separated by pauses in eruptive activity lasting from less than 24 hours to 12 days.

Vog, or visible volcanic haze formed when sulfur dioxide reacts in the atmosphere, and Pele’s hair, strands of volcanic glass often produced by lava fountaining activity and can be carried by the wind, both are concerns during this eruption, which is still confined in the summit of the volcano.

Kīlauea’s volcano alert level remains at watch and its aviation color code is still orange.

No changes have been detected in the East Rift Zone or Southwest Rift Zone.

Hawaiian Volcano Observatory continues to closely monitor Kīlauea and will issue an eruption update tomorrow morning unless there are significant changes to activity at the volcano before.

The observatory and its staff remain in close contact with Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park and Hawai‘i County Civil Defense.

Visit the Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park website for visitor information.