Live Stream: Kīlauea volcano is erupting with lava fountains at Halemaʻumaʻu Crater

Kīlauea volcano is erupting. At approximately 3:15 p.m. HST on Sunday, Sept. 10, 2023, eruptive activity was observed in Kīlauea summit webcam images and from field reports indicating that an eruption has commenced within Halemaʻumaʻu crater, according to the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.

The eruption is observed on the down dropped block to the east in Kīlauea’s summit caldera, within Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, according to the HVO.  The eruption was preceded by a period of strong seismicity and rapid uplift of the summit.

The USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory is elevating Kīlauea’s volcano alert level from WATCH to WARNING and its aviation color code from ORANGE to RED as this eruption and associated hazards are evaluated.  

The HVO says the opening phases of eruptions are “dynamic.” Webcam imagery shows fissures at the base of Halemaʻumaʻu crater generating lava flows on the surface of the crater floor. The activity is confined to Halemaʻumaʻu and the hazards will be reassessed as the eruption progresses, according to HVO scientists.

HVO scientists note that the activity is confined entirely within the park at this time. Monitoring continues.