Hawai'i Volcano Blog

An estimated 15 million cubic yards of lava erupted and covered about 50% of Halemaʻumaʻu Crater floor.

Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists use tiny features within crystals in erupted lava to answer big questions about the underlying plumbing system at Kīlauea.

Like the “Did You Feel It?” earthquake reporting tool helps make maps of areas affected by shaking, the new tool helps scientists map areas affected by tephra fallout; observations will be used to assess the character and size of the eruption plumes from Kīlauea volcano on the Big Island, along with the dispersal pattern of tephra fall.

Management of the national park requires the use of aircraft to monitor and research volcanic activity, conduct search-and-rescue missions and law enforcement operations, support management of natural and cultural resources as well as to maintain backcountry facilities.

Dive deeper into the park’s history and learn about the young local men who worked in the Great Depression-era federal jobs program to create much of the Big Island national park’s infrastructure and the legacy they left behind with a new online StoryMap sharing their contributions.

Strong updrafts coupled with light winds blowing to the east and north sent lava fragments — called tephra — from those molten rock geysers over much of Puna, into Hilo and falling along the eastern edge of Kaʻū; learn more now!

Get ready for a week that invites you to events from helping restore an ancient Hawaiian village site in the Valley of the Kings to expressing your opinions during a town hall meeting hosted by U.S. Congresswoman Jill Tokuda.

Episode 41 erupted Saturday morning and lasted more than 8 hours before abruptly ending just before 7:30 p.m.

Hawai‘i County Civil Defense advises the public that tephra can pose a health hazard and irritate the skin, eyes and respiratory system; tephra was reported to have fallen Jan. 24 in communities including Volcano Village, Mauna Loa Estates, ʻŌhiʻa Estates, Mountain View, Fern Acres, Kurtistown, ʻĀinaloa, Hilo, Hawaiian Paradise Park, Hawaiian Beaches and Pāhoa.

Satellite imagery and web cameras no longer show significant ash falling near Kīlauea volcano because of Episode 41 of lava fountaining in the ongoing episodic summit eruption; the episode lasted more than 8 hours before abruptly ending just before 7:30 p.m. Saturday (Jan. 24).

Volcanic ash and tephra, including glass strands of Pele’s hair, had fallen as far away as Hilo and at least Pāhala by early Saturday evening.

Since the ongoing eruption began a year ago, the Kīlauea summit region has been remarkably quiet from an earthquake standpoint, but that is changing.

Explore Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park this February through a variety of free events and guided programs that showcase its unique natural and cultural resources.

Ongoing swarms of earthquakes and persistent volcanic tremors indicate active magmatic movement, fueling anticipation about Kīlauea’s next eruption.

It is yet to be determined if temblor swarms following Episode 40 of the Big Island volcano’s ongoing episodic eruption that began Dec. 23, 2024, will impact lava fountaining activity at the surface.

After nearly 10 hours, Episode 40 of the Halemaʻumaʻu eruption comes to a sudden end.

Nearly continuous overflows of the north vent overnight coupled with overflows from the north and south vents this morning within Halemaʻumaʻu Crater inside the Big Island volcano’s summit caldera suggest the onset of Episode 40 is close.

While the mid-20th century episodic eruption and current ongoing eruption within the summit caldera of Kīlauea volcano on the Big Island share similarities, there also are several differences.

The scheduled operations including projects for invasive species control, aerial mapping of vegetation, seed collection and more; the park “regrets” any noise impact to residents and visitors.

Since Dec. 23, 2024, the north and south vents within Halemaʻumaʻu Crater, inside Kaluapele, the summit caldera, have erupted in 39 lava fountaining episodes.