Kīlauea hits pause on eruption for fourth time
It’s almost like Kīlauea volcano is watching a super long movie on the streaming platform Netflix and maybe drinking a little too much soda, having to hit the pause button now and again to step away, you know, for a break, before returning to the action.
Hawaiian Volcano Observatory reports the eruption within Kaluapele, the summit caldera of the Big Island volcano, paused at about 10:10 a.m. Jan. 18.
The livestream of the summit did indeed show no lava flowing or fountaining shortly after 4 p.m. Saturday, only volcanic gas rising into the sky from the now inactive vents.
This is the fourth time the eruption that began during the early morning of Dec. 23, 2024, has paused. The fourth eruptive episode of the eruption started just after 9 a.m. Jan. 15.
Activity greatly decreased at about 9:45 a.m. Saturday morning when the lava fountain at the north vent and associated lava flow stopped erupting. Activity at the south vent greatly diminished at the same time.
Lava continued to flow from the south vent for another 20 minutes at a much reduced rate.
Seismic tremor dropped just before 10:10 a.m.
Deflationary tilt that accompanied the start of the eruption’s Episode 4 reversed to inflation at about 10 a.m.
Lava within Halemaʻumaʻu Crater continues to slowly move. Crustal overturns were expected in the hours following the pause.
Both vents might continue to glow, and degassing remains at a high level.
The most recent sulfur dioxide emission measurement was rate was taken Jan. 14 at about 560 tonnes per day, before the start of Episode 4.
This zoom view of the two active lava fountains within Halema‘uma‘u at the summit of Kīlauea was captured by Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologists during an observational visit to the southern crater rim on the morning of Jan. 16, 2025. The geologists measured the northern (right) and southern (left) fountains to be consistently 165 feet and 130 feet tall, respectively, with both having built spatter cones that stood about 100 feet tall by that point. (U.S. Geological Survey/M. Zoeller)- A view of the nearly vertical eruption plume at Kīlauea summit during the afternoon on Jan. 17, 2025. Photo taken from within the closed area of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park and showing Crater Rim Drive. (U.S. Geological Survey/P. Nadeau)
- Panoramic view from 10:52 a.m. Jan. 17, 2025, of Halemaʻumaʻu and the downdropped caldera floor from the west rim of the summit caldera, looking east. (U.S. Geological Survey KWcam)
- During the reactivation of the Kīlauea summit eruption, Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists set up high-resolution cameras to record eruption dynamics. While on field shifts, scientists measure fountain and cone heights, take thermal and observational images and collect samples for monitoring purposes. During the field shift Jan. 16, 2025, staff were able to collect time-stamped airfall samples falling out of the plume. This photo is looking northeast toward Volcano House from the west caldera rim. (U.S. Geological Survey/H. Winslow)
- View from the morning of Jan. 16, 2025, of the Kīlauea summit eruption in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, from the south rim of the caldera. The caldera wall behind the erupting vents is approximately 690 feet tall. (U.S. Geological Survey photo/K. Lynn)
- View from 10:59 a.m. Jan. 17, 2025, of Kīlauea caldera, from the northwest rim of the caldera. (U.S. Geological Survey V1cam)
Recent Kona wind conditions have not been favorable for obtaining accurate sulfur dioxide emission rate measurements.
Emissions during the current fountaining were likely to be on the order of 10,000 tonnes per day or more, which led to very voggy conditions for many locations around the island toward the end of this week.
Vog is created when sulfur dioxide reacts in the atmosphere to create visible voclanic haze.
Kona winds, or winds from the south or south-southwest in the opposite direction of typical trade winds, tend to cause vog to linger around Hawai‘i Island, including in Hilo and the Hāmākua Coast. Fortunately,
The National Weather Service Hawai‘i area forecast discussion at 3:27 p.m. Jan. 18 said a gradual return to a more typical trade wind pattern is anticipated Sunday night through Tuesday. A breeze also had returned to Hilo by Saturday afternoon, instead of air being still and stagnant.
It is uncertain if lava drainback will occur as both vents have built up internal structures that might stop lava from flowing back down inside.
As of Friday morning, both cones were 100 to 115 feet tall, and for most of the past 24 hours lava fountaining was at or below the rim of each cone’s crater.
Hawaiian Volcano Observatory continues to closely monitor Kīlauea and will issue an eruption update Sunday morning or a status report before then if there are significant changes to report.
The volcano observatory remains in close contact with Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park and Hawai‘i County Civil Defense.
Visit the national park’s website for visitor information.
Kīlauea’s volcano alert level remains at watch and its aviation color code at orange.
All current and recent activity is confined to the summit caldera within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. No changes have been detected in the East Rift Zone or Southwest Rift Zone.
News reporter Nathan Christophel contributed to this story.
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