Scientists monitor Kīlauea as volcano shows renewed signs of eruption

Kīlauea started showing signs on Tuesday night that episode 36 of its ongoing eruption may occur soon, and those signs have continued on Friday.

Lava overflows from Kīlauea’s north vent resumed about 3:30 a.m. Friday morning , and about 24 hours after the last overflow, according to the U.S. Geological Survey’s Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.

Current lava overflows show limited spattering, indicating mostly degassed magma. Gas plumes continue to rise from both vents, with sulfur dioxide emissions holding steady at background levels of 1,200 to 1,500 tonnes per day.

Variable winds could push gases toward nearby communities if high fountains develop.

High levels of volcanic gases — mainly water vapor, carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide — are a major concern because they can have widespread effects downwind.

As sulfur dioxide  is constantly released from the summit during an eruption, it reacts in the atmosphere to produce the visible haze called vog (volcanic smog) downwind of Kīlauea. 

The previous eruption phase, episode 35, occurred on Oct. 17–18 and produced lava fountains up to 1,500 feet high, covering two-thirds of Halemaʻumaʻu crater.

The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory continues to closely monitor activity at Kīlauea. For more information:

• Eruption resources, including the most recent map and a timeline of eruption episodes since December 23, 2024: https://www.usgs.gov/volcanoes/kilauea/science/eruption-information.
• Three Kīlauea summit livestream videos that show eruptive lava fountains are available here: https://www.youtube.com/@usgs/streams.
• Summit eruption webcams: https://www.usgs.gov/volcanoes/kilauea/summit-webcams
• Learn more about gas pistons in a Volcano Watch article here: https://www.usgs.gov/observatories/hvo/news/volcano-watch-so-what-earth-or-least-kilauea-a-gas-piston

For further information on Vog, click here.