New eruption begins at Big Island’s Kīlauea volcano

Kīlauea volcano on the Big Island is erupting.

According to a notice issued at 2:20 a.m. today by the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, a new eruption began at about 12:30 a.m. today, likely about a mile south of Kīlauea caldera and north of the Koa’e fault system and Hilina Pali Road, within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park.

Accordingly, the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory raised the Volcano Alert Level for ground-based hazards to warning and the Aviation Color Code to red. 

Glow is visible in webcam imagery, indicating that lava is currently erupting from fissures. The most recent eruption in this region was in December 1974, which lasted only about 6 hours. At this time, it is not possible to say how long this new eruption will last.

Rates of seismicity and ground deformation beneath the East Rift Zone and Southwest Rift Zone remain low. Current activity is restricted to the summit region. 

It’s been about 9 months since the volcano’s last eruption in September 2023.

The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory continues to closely monitor Kīlauea for signs of increasing or decreasing activity. Should volcanic activity change significantly, a new Volcanic Activity Notice will be issued.

Residents and visitors should stay informed and follow County of Hawai‘i and Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park guidelines.

Kīlauea summit eruptive activity over the past several years has occurred at the base of Halemaʻumaʻu crater and on the downdropped block, within the closed area of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. During Kīlauea summit eruptions, the high level of volcanic gas — primarily water vapor, carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide — being emitted is the primary hazard of concern, as this hazard can have far-reaching effects downwind.

Passive volcanic degassing can occur from within Halemaʻumaʻu crater even during periods of no eruptive activity. As SO2 is released from the summit, it reacts in the atmosphere to create the visible haze known as vog (volcanic smog) that has been observed downwind of Kīlauea.

Vog creates the potential for airborne health hazards to residents and visitors, damages agricultural crops and other plants and affects livestock.

For more information about gas hazards, click here. Vog information can be found here. 

Other significant hazards also remain around Kīlauea caldera from Halemaʻumaʻu crater wall instability, ground cracking and rockfalls that can be enhanced by earthquakes within the area closed to the public.

This underscores the extremely hazardous nature of the rim surrounding Halemaʻumaʻu crater, an area that has been closed to the public since early 2008. 

For discussion of Kīlauea hazards, click here.

To view a live webcam stream of the Halemaʻumaʻu crater area, click here.

Residents and visitors should stay informed and follow Hawai‘i County and Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park guidelines.

Updates also can be found online.