#Kilauea Volcano
Update: Lava geysers reach up to 1,200 feet during Episode 42 of the Kīlauea volcano; now paused
Episode 42 of the ongoing Halemaʻumaʻu eruption ended at 11:38 p.m. on Feb. 15, 2026, and the ongoing Halemaʻumaʻu eruption is currently paused.
Volcano Watch — Handling the pressure: what gases trapped inside crystals tell us
USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists use tiny features within crystals in erupted lava to answer big questions about the underlying plumbing system at Kīlauea.
Volcano Watch: New ‘Is Tephra Falling?’ citizen science tool launched in Hawaiʻi
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.
Episode 40 of ongoing eruption at Kīlauea produces vibrant lava fountains
Episode 40 of lava fountaining in Halemaʻumaʻu began at the summit of Kīlauea began at 8:22 a.m. HST on Monday, Jan. 12, 2026.
Dual lava fountains at Kīlauea cover 60-70% Halemaʻumaʻu crater floor during Episode 39
Episode 39 of the ongoing Halemaʻumaʻu eruption ended abruptly at 2:13 a.m. on Dec. 24, 2025 after 5.9 hours of continuous fountaining. Lava fountains from the south vent reached up to 1400 ft while north vent fountains were just under 1000 feet around 9:30 p.m. on Dec. 23.
Episode 39 of Kīlauea Volcano eruption to most likely begin Dec. 24-25
The forecast window for the onset of the next episode of lava fountaining at Kīlauea runs from Dec. 23-26, with Episode 39 likely to begin on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, according to scientists with the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.
New monitoring site sought after Kīlauea summit camera is buried in volcanic debris
The V3cam on the south rim of Kīlauea was buried under 50 feet of tephra, abruptly ending its livestream.
Episode 35 of Kīlauea eruption dazzles with dual fountains
Kīlauea summit inflation immediately resumed following the end of episode 35 and continues along with tremor and vent glow. These observations indicate that another fountaining episode is probable, but likely at least two weeks away.
Update: 1,300 foot lava fountains observed during Episode 34 of eruption at Kīlauea
Update: Episode 34 of the ongoing Halemaʻumaʻu eruption ended abruptly at 7:03 a.m. HST on Oct. 1 after just over 6 hours of continuous fountaining.
Volcano Watch: Distant vs. local earthquakes and tsunami response times in Hawai‘i
Tsunami waves generated by distant earthquakes take hours to reach the Hawaiian Islands, giving people time to evacuate vulnerable areas. Local tsunami, however, do not need to travel far to reach our shores, leaving a much shorter time to respond.
Volcano Watch: Remembering a destructive Maunaloa eruption 75 years ago
Maunaloa is now quiet, so it’s a good opportunity to remember the 1950 Southwest Rift Zone eruption — the volcano’s most recent eruption to cause significant damage.
Volcano Watch: Snowshoeing on Kīlauea? High fountain episodes pose new challenges to volcano monitoring
While it is challenging that a small portion of the Kīlauea monitoring network is impacted by the ongoing summit eruption, Hawaiian Volcano Observatory says maintaining the network during eruptions comes with the job when it’s monitoring one of the most active volcanoes on Earth.
UPDATE: Lava geysers reach heights up to about 1,100 feet before Episode 27 of Kīlauea summit eruption ends
High fountains lasted nearly 11 hours and produced about 1.6 bilion gallons of lava, covering 80% of the Halemaʻumaʻu Crater floor within the Big Island volcano’s summit caldera. Lava flows from this episode could continue to exhibit slow movement or incandescence throughout the coming days.
Intermittent lava overflows mark start of Episode 27 of the ongoing Kīlauea eruption
Precursory low-level activity for episode 27 of the ongoing Kīlauea eruption at Halemaʻumaʻu began around 7:27 a.m. on June 28, currently consisting of intermittent lava overflows from the north vent.
Episode 26 of Kīlauea eruption spews lava fountains 1,000 feet high
Episode 26 of the ongoing Halemaʻumaʻu eruption began at approximately 1:40 a.m. HST on Friday, June 20, 2025, with lava fountains and flows erupting from the north vent. Within less than a half hour, at 2:10 a.m., lava fountains had reached heights of over 1,000 feet, according to a volcanic activity summary issued by the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.
Episode 20 of Kīlauea eruption is short-lived with 4.5 hours of sustained fountaining
Episode 20 of the eruption at Kīlauea ended at 9:58 p.m. on Tuesday, May 6, 2025, after 4.5 hours of sustained fountaining. The Halema’uma’u eruption is currently paused.
Episode 19 of the Kīlauea Volcano eruption ends after 8 hours of activity
The main fountaining of Episode 19 of the ongoing Halemaʻumaʻu eruption at Kīlauea has ended after just 8 hours of activity.
Episode 18 of the ongoing Kīlauea eruption is underway on Hawaiʻi Island
Episode 18 of the ongoing Halemaʻumaʻu eruption began at 10:01 p.m. HST on April 16, 2025 when lava started overflowing from the north vent.
Update: Episode 14 of begins after seven small, short-lived lava flows erupt overnight at Kīlauea’s Halemaʻumaʻu crater
Episode 14 of the ongoing Halema’uma’u eruption of Kīlauea volcano began continuous lava effusion from the north vent at 9:26 a.m. HST March 19 in Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park.
600 foot lava fountains subside at Kīlauea, new episode expected within a week
The Kīlauea summit eruption within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park paused on Wednesday, March 5, at 10:37 a.m. HST, marking the end of episode 12. A new episode is expected in the next 5-7 days.
