Episode 55 of ongoing Kīlauea eruption lasted less than 6 hours on Saturday morning

Episode 55 of lava fountaining in Halemaʻumaʻu crater at the summit of Kīlauea began at 3:19 a.m. on Saturday and before many people had their breakfast on the Big Island it was over.

The eruption ended abruptly at 9:03 a.m., according to the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.

Fountain heights were relatively low at about 100 to 150 feet at the beginning.

Continuous overflows from the vents began Friday just before 6 a.m. and transitioned into episode 55 fountains less than 24 hours later.

All eruptive vents and lava flows were confined to Halemaʻumaʻu crater within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. Tephra fall from volcanic ash clouds is greatest within 3 miles of the vents, lighter ash and Pele’s Hair may stay suspended for large distances from the vents.

• Timeline of eruptive episodes since December 23, 2024: https://www.usgs.gov/volcanoes/kilauea/science/eruption-information 
• Three Kīlauea summit livestream videos are available here: https://www.youtube.com/@usgs/streams 
• Additional short updates shared during the episode can be found here: https://www.usgs.gov/observatories/hvo/observatory-messages 

Hazard analysis:

Volcanic Gas: Water vapor (H₂O), carbon dioxide (CO₂) and sulfur dioxide (SO₂) emissions can remain locally hazardous in the areas immediately downwind of the vents, even when the vents are not actively erupting. Sulfur dioxide reacts in the atmosphere to create vog (volcanic air pollution) downwind. Sulfur dioxide and vog may cause respiratory and other problems at high concentrations. Further information on vog can be found at https://vog.ivhhn.org/

Tephra: Small glassy volcanic fragments may be remobilized during windy conditions following recent eruptive episodes. Residents and visitors should minimize exposure to these fragments, which can cause skin and eye irritation. More information is available at the links below:

• https://seagrant.soest.hawaii.edu/resource-and-guidance-for-volcanic-tephra-fall/   
• https://vog.ivhhn.org/sites/default/files/PelesHair_FAQs_v2.pdf

Lava flows: Lava on the floor of Halemaʻumaʻu crater and the southwest side of Kaluapele, Kīlauea’s summit caldera, remain hot and may slowly move in the days immediately following an eruptive episode. 

Other significant hazards exist around Kīlauea caldera from Halemaʻumaʻu crater wall instability, ground cracking, and rockfalls that can be enhanced by earthquakes. Close to the vents, the tephra material on the crater rim is prone to cracking, slumping, and small landslides that sometimes expose hot and molten material within. This underscores the extremely hazardous nature of Kīlauea’s caldera rim surrounding Halemaʻumaʻu crater, an area that has been closed to the public since late 2007.