Episode 24 of Kīlauea eruption generates 16,500-foot plume, 980-foot lava fountains

Episode 24 of the ongoing Halemaʻumaʻu eruption at Kīlauea began just before 9 p.m. last night, and featured lava fountaining from the north vent reaching 980 feet.  Scientists with the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory say the fountain generated a plume that reached 16,500 feet above ground level.  The episode ended abruptly at 4:28 a.m. today after about 7.5 hours of sustained fountaining.

 Lava flows from this episode on the floor of Halemaʻumaʻu within the southern part of Kaluapele (Kīlauea caldera) may continue to exhibit slow movement or incandescence as the cool and solidify over the coming days. 

According to the HVO, the latest episode began at 8:55 p.m. on June 4 and featured lava fountaining from the north vent.

Episode 24 was preceded by sporadic spatter, gas pistoning, and hydrogen flames that began on the morning of June 3.  “”At approximately 8:55 p.m., episode 24 began with low dome fountaining accompanied by lava flows onto the crater floor. Small sustained lava fountains, less than about 100 feet high, began erupting from the north vent around 9:15 p.m.,” according to the HVO update.

The HVO reports that activity increased again around 10:10 p.m., when fountain heights increased to 325 feet and by 10:40 reached over 980 feet. Additionally, the fountain generated a plume that reached 16,500 feet above ground level by 10:50 p.m.

“At a tiltmeter near Uēkahuna, inflationary tilt reached just over 14 microradians since the end of the last episode; slightly more than the amount of deflationary tilt in episode 23. Seismic tremor began increasing and tilt at UWD switched from inflation to deflation at about 9 p.m., close in time to the beginning of low fountaining,” according to the HVO.

Most episodes of Halemaʻumaʻu lava fountaining since Dec. 23, 2024, have continued for around a day or less and have been separated by pauses in eruptive activity lasting generally at least several days. 

• Timeline of eruptive episodes since Dec. 23, 2024: https://www.usgs.gov/volcanoes/kilauea/science/eruption-information 
• Three Kīlauea summit livestream videos are available here: https://www.youtube.com/@usgs/streams 

No changes have been detected in the East Rift Zone or Southwest Rift Zone. A VAN/VONA will be issued when sustained lava fountaining ceases and the eruption is paused, or earlier if the situation warrants a further update.

Kīlauea Volcano Alert Level/Aviation Color Code remain at WATCH/ORANGE. All current and recent activity is within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park.