Episode 2 of the summit eruption at Kīlauea hits another pause on Christmas Day

Episode 2 of the eruption at Kīlauea lasted a little over 24 hours, which is about twice the duration of the first eruptive episode. Prior summit eruptions have lasted days to weeks and scientists with the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory say there is a high probability that this eruption will resume if the summit re-pressurizes over the coming days.

The Kīlauea Volcano Alert Level remains at WATCH. All current and recent activity is within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park and no changes have been detected in the East or Southwest rift zones.

The vigorous fountaining from vents in the southwest corner of Halemaʻmaʻu crater rapidly died down over a few minutes just before 11 a.m. on Christmas Day, Dec. 25. Lava began draining back into the vent at 11 a.m. at the nearly the same time that summit tiltmeters began recording a change from deflation to inflation.  Seismic tremor also decreased markedly at the same time.

The pattern was similar but more abrupt than the onset of the pause on Monday, Dec. 23, that occurred between 3 and 4 p.m.

Kīlauea erupted most recently in and near Nāpau Crater on the middle East Rift Zone from Sept. 15-20, 2024. Since 1952, Kīlauea has erupted dozens of times. From 1983 to 2018 eruptive activity was nearly continuous along the volcano’s East Rift Zone, according to the HVO.