Volcano Updates

Activity Summary:

The ongoing Halemaʻumaʻu eruption is paused. Intermittent glow continued from both vents overnight, with spattering occasionally visible within the north vent. Kīlauea summit region showed slow inflation on tiltmeter UWD over the past 24 hours. Forecasting models suggest the window for lava fountaining episode 40 is between January 10 and 14. Kīlauea’s East Rift Zone and Southwest Rift Zone remain quiet.

Summit Observations:

Overnight, intermittent glow was observed from both the north and south vents, and spatter was occasionally visible within the north vent.  Seismometers are recording low level tremor from the vent region with poorly defined, weak bursts of tremor 10-20 minutes apart. Since the end of episode 39, the Uēkahuna tiltmeter (UWD) has recorded 21 microradians of re-inflation beneath Kīlauea summit.  

Volcanic gas emission rates have dropped significantly since the end of episode 39 but probably remain in the range of 1,000 to 5,000 tonnes of sulfur dioxide (SO₂) per day, as typically observed during previous eruptive pauses.

Rift Zone Observations:

Rates of seismicity and ground deformation remain very low in the East Rift Zone and Southwest Rift Zone. SO₂ emissions from the East Rift Zone remain below the detection limit.

Analysis:

The rapid rebound of inflationary tilt and presence of low-level volcanic tremor after episode 39 indicate that another lava fountaining episode is likely to occur.  Magma is high in the vents and overnight spattering continued to be visible in the north vent. The UWD tiltmeter may be seeing the effect of heavy rainfall recently, with a slow rate of inflation that has pushed the forecast window for the start of episode 40 fountaining back slightly. Forecast models suggest the window for episode 40 is now between January 10 and 14.

Kīlauea has been erupting episodically since December 23, 2024, primarily from two vents (north and south) in Halema‘uma‘u. Eruptive episodes, which generally last for less than 12 hours, are separated by pauses that can be as long as over two weeks.

HVO continues to closely monitor Kīlauea and is in contact with Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park and the Hawai‘i County Civil Defense Agency about eruptive hazards.

Please see the Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park website for visitor information: https://www.nps.gov/havo/index.htm

Recap of Last Episode:

Episode 39 lava fountaining from the south vent stopped at approximately 2:13 a.m. HST on December 24 after 5.9 hours of sustained fountaining. The two vents within the north cone both stopped slightly earlier at 2:00 a.m. HST. Sustained fountaining began at 8:20 p.m. HST from the north and south vents after just under 2 hours of precursory overflows. Fountains rapidly grew to several hundred feet high and by 9:30 p.m. HST had reach maximum estimated heights of 1,400 feet (425 meters) for the south fountain and 900 feet for the north fountain. The main fountain from the north cone came from the "right hand" vent (as viewed from V1cam, which is pointed south), but a much smaller fountain, 100-200 feet (30–60 meters) high, began at about 8:45 p.m. HST and lasted until the north vent stopped fountaining. This "triple" fountain lasted through most of the eruption, with the south fountain highest followed by the "right hand" north vent (about 65–70% of the south fountain height) and the much smaller "left hand" north vent (about 10–20% of the south fountain height). The highest peak or instantaneous effusion rate of 960 cubic yards per second (800 cubic meters per second) occurred about 9:00 p.m. HST just before the south and north vents reached their maximum heights. Episode 39 ended with an average effusion rate of 250 cubic yards per second (190 cubic meters per second). An estimated 12 million cubic yards (9.3 million cubic meters) of lava erupted and covered about 50–60% of the floor of Halemaʻumaʻu crater. The Uēkahuna tiltmeter (UWD) recorded about 26.8 microradians of deflationary tilt during episode 39.

The following links provide more information about the current eruption that began on December 23, 2024:

• 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
• Volcano Watch article on gas pistons: https://www.usgs.gov/observatories/hvo/news/volcano-watch-so-what-earth-or-least-kilauea-a-gas-piston

Hazards:

This episodic eruption is occurring within a closed area of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park. 

• Volcanic Gas: high levels of volcanic gas—primarily water vapor (H₂O), carbon dioxide (CO₂), and sulfur dioxide (SO₂)—are continually released during an eruption. Emissions can remain locally hazardous in the areas immediately downwind of the vents, even when the vents are not actively erupting. SO₂ reacts in the atmosphere to create vog (volcanic air polution) downwind. SO₂ 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—volcanic ash, pumice, scoria, and reticulite—are created by the lava fountains. Larger particles fall near the vents while light particles may be wafted greater distances. These particles 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 here: https://vog.ivhhn.org/sites/default/files/PelesHair_FAQs_v2.pdf. 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. 
• Lava flows: 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 also remain around Kīlauea caldera from Halemaʻumaʻu crater wall instability, ground cracking, and rockfalls that can be enhanced by earthquakes. 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.