#Kilauea Volcano

Comparing different eruptions can be a bit like comparing apples to oranges. But no matter how you compare, the ongoing eruption made an impression in terms of its longevity, with two active vents and impacts to areas downwind, including the changing topography of the summit.

After Episode 44 ends, assuming activity is similar to the first 43 episodes, Hawaiian Volcano Observatory will lower alert level and aviation color code for Kīlauea one level lower than the current norm, to Advisory and Yellow, respectively.

As future eruptive episodes approach, monitor the weather forecast and follow guidance from Hawai‘i County Civil Defense so you can prepare for these events if you live in an area that could experience tephra fallout.

The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory reports that the V3 camera for live streaming of eruptive activity at Kīlauea, is now back online after onsite maintenance. Scientists with the HVO say preliminary models suggest the likely forecast window for the onset of episode 43 lava fountaining is March 6-16.

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.

USGS 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.

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. 

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.

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.

The V3cam on the south rim of Kīlauea was buried under 50 feet of tephra, abruptly ending its livestream.

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: 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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 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.