#Halemaʻumaʻu

Hawaiian Volcano Observatory reports that Episode 46 of the ongoing episodic summit eruption of Kīlauea volcano within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island ended shortly before 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 5, after just more than 9 hours of continuous lava fountaining.

Episode 45 of the ongoing Halemaʻumaʻu eruption ended abruptly at 10:01 a.m. HST on April 23, 2026, after 8.5 hours of continuous lava fountaining. The eruption is currently paused.

Precursory activity at Kīlauea on Hawaiʻi Island has paused, but an episodic fountaining eruption is forecast to occur sometime between today and April 15.  Fountaining episodes typically last less than 12 hours but ash can remain in the air longer depending on wind and weather.

Episode 43 of the ongoing Halemaʻumaʻu eruption ended at 6:21 p.m. on March 10, 2026, and the ongoing Halemaʻumaʻu eruption is currently paused.

A magnitude-4.2 earthquake reported at 11:37 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 26, occurred 1 mile northwest of Pāhala on the Island of Hawaiʻi at a depth of 21 miles below sea level. Scientists with the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory say the earthquake was part of the ongoing deep swarm beneath Pāhala that began about 7 years ago and is not directly related to volcanic activity.

Kīlauea summit region has been remarkably quiet, from an earthquake standpoint, since the current eruption began on the night of Dec. 23, 2024. Since the end of episode 40 on the evening of Jan. 12, however, nearly a dozen small earthquake swarms have occurred involving earthquakes 1–2.5 miles beneath Halemaʻumaʻu and the summit caldera of Kīlauea.

Most of the earthquakes are volcano-tectonic earthquakes that accompany crack opening due to magmatic pressure, according to the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.

Episode 39 of the ongoing Halemaʻumaʻu eruption ended abruptly at 2:13 a.m. on Dec. 24, 2025 after 5.9 hours of continuous fountaining. Lava fountains from the south vent reached up to 1400 ft while north vent fountains were just under 1000 feet around 9:30 p.m. on Dec. 23.

The forecast window for the onset of the next episode of lava fountaining at Kīlauea runs from Dec. 23-26, with Episode 39 likely to begin on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, according to scientists with the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.

On Dec, 23, 2024, a unique eruption began in Kīlauea’s Halemaʻumaʻu crater, with a style of activity not seen for nearly 40 years. The eruption, characterized by high lava-fountaining episodes, has continued for nearly a year. Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park visitors see remarkable views, but the latest episode reminds us how quickly hazards associated with this dynamic activity can change.

Sustained lava fountains approximately 50-100 feet are currently erupting from the north vent. Fountain heights are increasing rapidly and are coming from both the left and right vents within the north cone.

Recent episodes featured the highest lava fountains, the most volume of lava erupted, and the highest rate of lava effusion for this event, which has now lasted over 10 months. 

Episode 36 of the ongoing Halemaʻumaʻu eruption ended abruptly at 4:16 p.m. HST on November 9 after just under 5 hours of continuous fountaining. Lava fountains reached a maximum of 1000-1100 ft during this episode.

Precursory low-level activity for episode 35 of the ongoing Halemaʻumaʻu eruption increased on Thursday morning, Oct. 16, 2025, with a series of lava overflows and drainbacks occurring from the south vent. 

Update: Episode 34 of the ongoing Halemaʻumaʻu eruption ended abruptly at 7:03 a.m. HST on Oct. 1 after just over 6 hours of continuous fountaining.

Episode 33 of the ongoing Halemaʻumaʻu eruption began at 3:11 a.m. HST on Friday, Sept. 19 and is currently fountaining within the summit caldera. Current fountain height is greater than 500 feet and the convective plume is about 10,000 feet AGL, according to the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.

Episode 32 of the ongoing Halemaʻumaʻu eruption ended abruptly at around 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2025 after more than 13 hours of continuous fountaining.  Lava fountains reached up to 500 ft during this episode and averaged more than 250 cubic yards per sec of lava, the highest output for a short-lived fountain episode. 

Episode 30 vigorous fountaining of the ongoing Halemaʻumaʻu eruption at Kīlauea began at approximately 1:20 a.m. HST on Wednesday, Aug. 6 and is currently producing broad fountains 150-300 feet high from the north vent.  

HVO scientists say it is unclear exactly when sustained eruptive activity may start, however, high lava fountaining is likely to begin today or tomorrow if summit inflation resumes.

An estimated 1.8 billion gallons of lava erupted during the episode, covering approximately 80% of the crater floor.