Episode 33 lava fountaining at Kīlauea could begin today

Episode 33 lava fountaining at Kīlauea in Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park is most likely to begin today or Friday at the latest, according to the latetst news report from Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.

Overnight, the magma column within Halema‘uma‘u has been rising and falling in the vent in cycles (gas pistoning), which has been common in the lead-up to lava fountaining episodes, according to this morning’s report from the U.S. Geological Survey’s observatory experts. This activity suggests the system is building to lava fountaining in the coming 24 hours, but could start later if conditions change.

Dome fountains up to 10-20 feet accompanied filling and overflowing of the vent, drainback was marked by energetic bursts of gas that sent spatter 15-30 feet high and landed on the outside of the cone.

These gas piston cycles have been occurring every 10 minutes, producing small episodic lava flows covering the western crater floor. Vigorous gas pistoning continues this morning.

Rates of seismicity and ground deformation remain very low in the East Rift Zone and Southwest Rift Zone, with no significant earthquake activity in the past 24 hours outside of the summit. Sulfur dioxide emissions from the East Rift Zone remain below the detection limit.

The current eruption has been characterized by episodic lava fountaining not seen in any eruptions since the 1983–86 episodic fountains at the beginning of the Puʻuʻōʻō eruption. Lava fountains and flows have erupted from two vents within Halemaʻumaʻu crater that we refer to as the north vent and south vent.

Each of the previous fountaining episodes lasted from a few hours to over a week and was accompanied by strong deflation of the summit region. Pauses between the lava fountaining episodes have been marked by an immediate switch from deflation to inflation as the magma chamber recharges and repressurizes. Lava fountaining episodes have occurred approximately once per week since the start of the current eruption on Dec. 23, 2024.

HVO continues to closely monitor Kīlauea and is in contact with Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park and the Hawai‘i County Civil Defense Agency about eruptive hazards.

See the Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park website for visitor information: https://www.nps.gov/havo/index.htm