Update: Kīlauea gifted mothers with short, but special lava fountains

Update at 9 p.m. Sunday, May 11: The Halema’uma’u eruption has paused less than 8 hours after it began on Sunday.

According to Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, episode 21 of the eruption began at 12:45 p.m. on Sunday with sustained fountaining by the north and south vents ending at 8:34 p.m.

There have now been 21 episodes separated by pauses in activity. All eruptive activity remains within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. No significant activity has been noted along Kīlauea’s East Rift Zone or Southwest Rift Zone.

The end of episode 21 fountaining activity was accompanied by a rapid change in summit tilt from deflation to inflation, along with a rapid decrease in tremor.

According to Hawaiian Volcanoes Observatory, high levels of volcanic gas—primarily water vapor, carbon dioxide, and sulfur dioxide, is the the primary hazard of concern, as this hazard can have far-reaching effects downwind. More information on vog is available online.

No changes have been detected in the East Rift Zone or Southwest Rift Zone. Hawaiian Volcanoes Observatory continues to closely monitor Kīlauea and will issue an eruption update tomorrow morning unless there are significant changes before then. 

Hawaiian Volcanoes Observatory has a timeline of the eruption episodes since December 23, 2024 and a Kīlauea summit livestream available online.

Original: Is there any better gift to give Mom on Mother’s Day than the beauty, the power, the awesomeness, the shear amazement of watching creation happen in front of her eyes again — you know, because she did, after all, help create you?

Kīlauea volcano on the Big Island doesn’t think so either, and it’s providing the perfect opportunity — even if you have to watch them online: lava fountains for Mom!

Episode 21 of sustained lava fountaining of the ongoing episodic Halemaʻumaʻu Crater eruption in Kaluapele, the volcano’s summit caldera, within Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park erupted at 12:45 p.m. today (May 11) from the north vent in the southwest portion of the crater.

Dome fountains started a new gas-piston cycle just less than 5 hours earlier, marking precursory activity to the main event, before evolving into to continuous lava fountains.

Hawaiian Volcano Observatory reports that fountains rapidly grew into vigorous 500-foot molten rock geisers that ejected from the vent as they fed lava flows that had covered about 10% to 20% of the crater’s floor by about an hour later.

The south vent was not yet active, but by just after 2 p.m., a look at the livestream showed what seemed to be smaller fountains erupting from the north vent’s twin.

Sustained fountaining was accompanied by a rapid change from inflation to deflation at the summit along with a rapid increase in tremor.

The Uēkahuna tiltmeter recorded about 7 microradians of inflation between the end of Episode 20 at about 10 p.m. May 6 and beginning of Episode 21 persistent fountaining.

Precursory low-level activity to this eruptive phase was marked by gas-pistoning events in the north vent cycling from dome fountaining and ponding of lava to vigorous drainbacks.

Each episode of Halemaʻumaʻu lava fountaining since the eruption started Dec. 23, 2024, has continued for as few as 4.5 hours to up to 8 days. They have been separated by pauses in eruptive activity of less than a day to up to 12 days.

Strong degassing — estimated at 50,000 tonnes of sulfur dioxide per day about an hour after sustained fountain started Sunday, which will react in the atmosphere to become the volcanic haze known as vog — as well as tephra and strands of volcanic gas called Pele’s hair accompany the fountaining.

Fortunately, winds are blowing from the northeast, pushing the gas plume and volcanic particulates southwest and away from main viewing areas inside Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park and surrounding communities.

Kīlauea’s Volcano Alert Level remains at Watch and its Aviation Color Code at Orange.

All current and recent eruptive activity is confined within the national park.

No changes have been detected in the volcano’s East Rift Zone or Southwest Rift Zone.

Hawaiian Volcano Observatory continues to closely monitor Kīlauea and will issue an eruption update the morning of May 12 unless there are significant changes before.

News reporter Nathan Christophel contributed to this story.