Kīlauea eruption pauses; next lava fountaining possible Jan. 7-14

The ongoing Halemaʻumaʻu eruption at Kīlauea is paused, per an announcement from the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory at 9:06 a.m.

According to HVO, overnight webcam views showed a persistent glow from the south vent and several instances of brief glow from the north vent. Summit inflation is underway and forecasting models suggest the window for lava fountaining episode 40 is between Jan. 7 and 14.

A slowly advancing ʻaʻā lava flow south of the south vent continues to move, fed by partially cooled lava draining from higher elevations to the west. The flow is no longer visibly incandescent. Low-frequency volcanic tremor—at a rate of one to three events per hour—continues to be detected in summit seismic and infrasound data.

Since the end of episode 39, the Uēkahuna tiltmeter has recorded 14.4 microradians of re-inflation beneath Kīlauea summit, indicating magma recharge. Volcanic gas emission rates have dropped significantly since the end of episode 39 but are estimated in the range of 1,000 to 5,000 tonnes of sulfur dioxide (SO₂) per day, as typically observed during previous eruptive pauses.

Rates of seismicity and ground deformation remain very low in the East Rift Zone and Southwest Rift Zone. SO₂ emissions from the East Rift Zone remain below the detection limit.

Scientists at HVO say the rapid rebound of inflationary tilt and presence of low-level volcanic tremor after episode 39 suggest that another lava fountaining episode is likely to occur. Current inflation rates are significantly slower than those leading up to episode 39, and the forecast window may change as more data are incorporated into the models.

Kīlauea has been erupting episodically since Dec. 23, 2024, primarily from two vents (north and south) in Halema‘uma‘u. Eruptive episodes, which can last up to 12 hours, are separated by pauses that can be as long as over two weeks.

The current volcano alert level is “WATCH” with aviation color code “ORANGE.” The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory continues to closely monitor Kīlauea and is in contact with Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park and the Hawai‘i County Civil Defense Agency about eruptive hazards.

For eruption resources, including the most recent map and a timeline of eruption episodes since Dec. 23, 2024, visit the Kīlauea Eruption Information page on the US Geological Survey website.