A brief, small eruption occurred on the middle East Rift Zone of Kīlauea late on September 15. The eruption produced two small pads of lava just west of Nāpau Crater, which is west (uprift) of the former Pu‘u‘ō‘ō eruption site. USGS photo by M. Patrick.
Kīlauea is erupting on the remote middle East Rift Zone within the closed area of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park. No public viewing is possible at this time, but webcam views are listed below. Please see Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park for visitor information.
S2cam views of the eruption from the east
PWcam views of the eruption from the east
As of September 16, a 480-meter (1600-foot) long fissure had covered 16,500 square meters (4 acres) with about 20,000 cubic meters (about 5 million gallons) of lava.
Timeline of eruption-related events:
- September 14, 2024: magma intruded beneath the ground near Makaopuhi Crater—a well-known magma storage region on Kīlauea’s middle East Rift Zone. HVO publishes a Status Report alerting the public and partners to the is activity, which is accompanied by hundreds of earthquakes and ground deformation.
- September 15, 2024: a brief eruption occurred west of Nāpau Crater on the middle East Rift Zone between 9 and 10 p.m. HST. The alert level and aviation color code for Kīlauea is raised to ORANGE/WATCH.
- September 16, 2024: the eruption resumed in the middle East Rift Zone at about 6 p.m. HST. During a morning overflight at approximately 8 a.m. HST, the line of eruptive vents and lava flows is confined to Nāpau Crater.
Hazards
Far-reaching - VOG
- High level of volcanic gas—primarily water vapor (H2O), and sulfur dioxide (SO2)—are emitted during eruptions and can have far-reaching effects downwind. As SO2 is released from lava, it reacts in the atmosphere to create the visible haze known as vog (volcanic smog) that has been observed downwind of eruptive vents. Vog creates the potential for airborne health hazards to residents and visitors, damages agricultural crops and other plants, and affects livestock. For more information on gas hazards at the summit of Kīlauea, please see: https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/fs20173017. Vog information can be found at https://vog.ivhhn.org.
Near the remote eruption site
- Additional ground cracking and outbreaks of lava around the active fissures are possible at any time, or existing fissures can be reactivated.
- Hawaiian lava flows generally advance slowly downslope and can be avoided by people. They destroy everything in their paths. If new lava flows cover and burn vegetation and soil, they can ignite natural gas pockets in the subsurface, which can cause methane explosions. These explosions can blast lava fragments up to several meters (yards) away and can be hazardous to observers.
- Hazards associated with active or recent lava flows include hot and glassy (sharp) surfaces that can cause serious burns, abrasions, and lacerations upon contact with unprotected or exposed skin; uneven and rough terrain can lead to falls and other injuries; hot temperatures that can cause heat exhaustion or dehydration, or in heavy rain can produce steamy ground-fog that can be acidic, severely limiting visibility and sometimes causing difficulty breathing.
- Pele's hair and other lightweight volcanic glass fragments from lava fountains and spattering will fall downwind, dusting the ground within a few hundred meters (yards) of the vent. High winds may waft lighter particles and transport them greater distances downwind. Exposure to these volcanic particles can cause skin and eye irritation.
Additional Information
- Search for past volcano updates
- Subscribe to the USGS Volcano Notification Service to receive eruption updates
- Kīlauea geology and history
- Kīlauea Maps
- Vog Information Dashboard
- General Hawai‘i County Civil Defense information or subscribe to CD alerts and updates
- Follow USGS Volcanoes on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
- Volcano viewing information from Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
Recent eruptions have taken place within Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Please visit the Park website to learn more about their operations.
September 17, 2024 —Kīlauea middle East Rift Zone eruption sampling
USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologists collected a sample of the middle East Rift Zone Kīlauea eruption in Nāpau Crater, within a closed area Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. Geologists put molten lava into a metal bucket and rapidly quench it with water.
A brief, small eruption occurred on the middle East Rift Zone of Kīlauea late on September 15. The eruption produced two small pads of lava just west of Nāpau Crater, which is west (uprift) of the former Pu‘u‘ō‘ō eruption site. USGS photo by M. Patrick.
This thermal map shows two small lava pads erupted late on September 15, just west of Nāpau Crater on the East Rift Zone of Kīlauea. This small eruption resulted from magma intruding from the summit into the East Rift Zone, and was associated with an increase in earthquake activity along the East Rift Zone.
This thermal map shows two small lava pads erupted late on September 15, just west of Nāpau Crater on the East Rift Zone of Kīlauea. This small eruption resulted from magma intruding from the summit into the East Rift Zone, and was associated with an increase in earthquake activity along the East Rift Zone.
This reference map depicts the fissure and lava flows from the Kīlauea middle East Rift Zone eruption of Sunday, September 15, 2024. The eruption occurred between approximately 9:00 and 10:00 p.m., in a remote and closed area of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park.
This reference map depicts the fissure and lava flows from the Kīlauea middle East Rift Zone eruption of Sunday, September 15, 2024. The eruption occurred between approximately 9:00 and 10:00 p.m., in a remote and closed area of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park.
Kīlauea is erupting on the remote middle East Rift Zone within the closed area of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park. No public viewing is possible at this time, but webcam views are listed below. Please see Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park for visitor information.
S2cam views of the eruption from the east
PWcam views of the eruption from the east
As of September 16, a 480-meter (1600-foot) long fissure had covered 16,500 square meters (4 acres) with about 20,000 cubic meters (about 5 million gallons) of lava.
Timeline of eruption-related events:
- September 14, 2024: magma intruded beneath the ground near Makaopuhi Crater—a well-known magma storage region on Kīlauea’s middle East Rift Zone. HVO publishes a Status Report alerting the public and partners to the is activity, which is accompanied by hundreds of earthquakes and ground deformation.
- September 15, 2024: a brief eruption occurred west of Nāpau Crater on the middle East Rift Zone between 9 and 10 p.m. HST. The alert level and aviation color code for Kīlauea is raised to ORANGE/WATCH.
- September 16, 2024: the eruption resumed in the middle East Rift Zone at about 6 p.m. HST. During a morning overflight at approximately 8 a.m. HST, the line of eruptive vents and lava flows is confined to Nāpau Crater.
Hazards
Far-reaching - VOG
- High level of volcanic gas—primarily water vapor (H2O), and sulfur dioxide (SO2)—are emitted during eruptions and can have far-reaching effects downwind. As SO2 is released from lava, it reacts in the atmosphere to create the visible haze known as vog (volcanic smog) that has been observed downwind of eruptive vents. Vog creates the potential for airborne health hazards to residents and visitors, damages agricultural crops and other plants, and affects livestock. For more information on gas hazards at the summit of Kīlauea, please see: https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/fs20173017. Vog information can be found at https://vog.ivhhn.org.
Near the remote eruption site
- Additional ground cracking and outbreaks of lava around the active fissures are possible at any time, or existing fissures can be reactivated.
- Hawaiian lava flows generally advance slowly downslope and can be avoided by people. They destroy everything in their paths. If new lava flows cover and burn vegetation and soil, they can ignite natural gas pockets in the subsurface, which can cause methane explosions. These explosions can blast lava fragments up to several meters (yards) away and can be hazardous to observers.
- Hazards associated with active or recent lava flows include hot and glassy (sharp) surfaces that can cause serious burns, abrasions, and lacerations upon contact with unprotected or exposed skin; uneven and rough terrain can lead to falls and other injuries; hot temperatures that can cause heat exhaustion or dehydration, or in heavy rain can produce steamy ground-fog that can be acidic, severely limiting visibility and sometimes causing difficulty breathing.
- Pele's hair and other lightweight volcanic glass fragments from lava fountains and spattering will fall downwind, dusting the ground within a few hundred meters (yards) of the vent. High winds may waft lighter particles and transport them greater distances downwind. Exposure to these volcanic particles can cause skin and eye irritation.
Additional Information
- Search for past volcano updates
- Subscribe to the USGS Volcano Notification Service to receive eruption updates
- Kīlauea geology and history
- Kīlauea Maps
- Vog Information Dashboard
- General Hawai‘i County Civil Defense information or subscribe to CD alerts and updates
- Follow USGS Volcanoes on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
- Volcano viewing information from Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
Recent eruptions have taken place within Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Please visit the Park website to learn more about their operations.
September 17, 2024 —Kīlauea middle East Rift Zone eruption sampling
USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory geologists collected a sample of the middle East Rift Zone Kīlauea eruption in Nāpau Crater, within a closed area Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. Geologists put molten lava into a metal bucket and rapidly quench it with water.
A brief, small eruption occurred on the middle East Rift Zone of Kīlauea late on September 15. The eruption produced two small pads of lava just west of Nāpau Crater, which is west (uprift) of the former Pu‘u‘ō‘ō eruption site. USGS photo by M. Patrick.
A brief, small eruption occurred on the middle East Rift Zone of Kīlauea late on September 15. The eruption produced two small pads of lava just west of Nāpau Crater, which is west (uprift) of the former Pu‘u‘ō‘ō eruption site. USGS photo by M. Patrick.
This thermal map shows two small lava pads erupted late on September 15, just west of Nāpau Crater on the East Rift Zone of Kīlauea. This small eruption resulted from magma intruding from the summit into the East Rift Zone, and was associated with an increase in earthquake activity along the East Rift Zone.
This thermal map shows two small lava pads erupted late on September 15, just west of Nāpau Crater on the East Rift Zone of Kīlauea. This small eruption resulted from magma intruding from the summit into the East Rift Zone, and was associated with an increase in earthquake activity along the East Rift Zone.
This reference map depicts the fissure and lava flows from the Kīlauea middle East Rift Zone eruption of Sunday, September 15, 2024. The eruption occurred between approximately 9:00 and 10:00 p.m., in a remote and closed area of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park.
This reference map depicts the fissure and lava flows from the Kīlauea middle East Rift Zone eruption of Sunday, September 15, 2024. The eruption occurred between approximately 9:00 and 10:00 p.m., in a remote and closed area of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park.