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, according to the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.

Episode 12 began at 7:06 a.m. HST on March 4 with several sluggish lava flows from both the north and south vents.  Fountaining from the north vent began at 2 p.m., and north vent began soon after.  The eruption reached peak heights of about 600 feet (180 meters) at about 3 p.m. HST, which continued until 8:26 p.m. HST.  

After that, low and intermittent fountaining continued through the night until 10:37 a.m. HST on March 5.  All eruptive activity is occurring in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. No significant changes have been noted along Kīlauea’s East Rift Zone or Southwest Rift Zone.

Current hazards include volcanic gas emissions and windblown volcanic glass (Pele’s Hair) that may impact Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park and nearby communities.

Lava flows unrelated to the episode 12 eruption continue to spread out on the downdropped block on the eastern side of Halemaʻumaʻu.  These appear to be fed from by older stored lava from beneath the crater floor.

Episodes of Halemaʻumaʻu lava fountaining since Dec. 23, 2024, have continued for 13 hours to 8 days and episodes have been separated by pauses in eruptive activity lasting from less than 24 hours to 12 days. While episode 12 began with intermittent eruption at 7:30 a.m. HST, continuous eruption did not begin until 12:45 p.m. HST and lasted for just under 22 hours.

Strands of volcanic glass known as Pele’s Hair have been reported on surfaces throughout the summit area of Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park and surrounding communities.