UPDATE: Episode 27 lava geysers of Kīlauea summit eruption reach heights of about 1,100 feet before ending

Update at 10:15 p.m. Sunday, June 29, 2025: Episode 27 of the ongoing episodic summit eruption of Kīlauea volcano on the Big Island within Halemaʻumaʻu Crater ended abruptly just before 8 p.m. Sunday (June 29) after nearly 11 hours of continuous, sustained and vigorous lava fountaining.

Hawaiian Volcano Observatory reported at 8:20 p.m. in a Volcanic Activity Notice that waning lava geysers from the north vent in the southwest portion of the crater stopped completely at 7:54 p.m., several hours after reaching maximum heights up to about 1,116 feet.

Flames were visible at the south vent for a few minutes afterwad.

High fountains produced about 1.6 billion gallons of lava, covering 80% of the crater floor.

Since fountaining ended, volcanic gas emissions greatly decreased.

Lava flows from this episode within the southern part of Kaluapele, Kīlauea’s summit caldera, could continue to exhibit slow movement or incandescence as they cool and solidify throughout the coming days.

The Uēkahuna tiltmeter recorded about 16.4 microradians of deflation during this episode, which was also coincident with a rapid change from deflation to inflation at the summit and decrease in seismic tremor intensity.

Most episodes of the ongoing episodic summit eruption have continued for about a day or less and were separated by pauses in activity lasting generally at least several days.

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

HVO continues to closely monitor Kīlauea and will issue a new Volcanic Activity Notice at the start of the next eruptive episode.

If possible, HVO will also issue a Volcanic Activity Notice upon the onset of low-level precursory activity.

Daily Kilauea updates will be published each morning as regularly scheduled, which are posted on the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory website.

You can also keep an eye on the summit through three U.S. Geological Survey livestream cameras.

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

Visit the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory website as well for information about Kīlauea hazards.

All current and recent eruptive activity is within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park.

Visit the park’s website for visitor information.

Original post at 11:15 a.m. Sunday, June 29, 2025: Sustained lava geysers began pumping from the north vent within Halemaʻumaʻu Crater at the summit of Kīlauea volcano on the Big Island just after 9 a.m. today (June 29), marking the beginning of the volcano’s 27th eruptive episode since the ongoing eruption began Dec. 23, 2024.

Fountains from the north vent in the southwest portion of the crater became more vigorous, reaching up to about 500 feet at the time and feeding multiple lava streams flowing onto the Halemaʻumaʻu floor.

By about 10:30 a.m., however, a view of any of the three livestreams provided by U.S. Geological Survey watching the volcano’s summit showed fountains skyrocketing to likely close to or even well more than 1,000 feet.

Hawaiian Volcano Observatory reported in is Volcanic Activity Notice at about 9:30 announcing Episode 27 had commenced that fountain heights were expected to increase during the next hour or so.

National Weather Service forecasters in Honolulu say winds are blowing from the northeast to east, though field observations indicate actual wind conditions are more variable.

Consequently, at this time it is uncertain what direction volcanic gas emissions and tephra from the fountain could be distributed around Halemaʻumaʻu Crater.

Visit the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory website for discussion about Kīlauea hazards, which include volcanic “smog” calleed vog, Pele’s hair and tephra that could impact Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park — where the eruption is confied — and areas downwind of the summit.

Episode 27 was preceded by small, sporadic dome fountains in the north vent that began at about 7:30 a.m. today, which continued to increase in vigor during the next hour and a half before becoming taller by about 9 a.m.

Summit inflation reached just more than 16.5 microradians since June 20 when Episode 26 ended, which recorded 18.5 microradians of deflation.

Seismic tremor began increasing and tilt switched from inflation to deflation at about 7:30 a.m., about the same time lava flows began erupting onto the crater floor.

Most eruptive episodes of Halemaʻumaʻu Crater lava fountaining since the summit eruption began have continued for about a day or less and have been separated by pauses in activity lasting generally at least several days.

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

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

Another Volcanic Activity Notice will be issued when sustained lava fountaining ceases and the eruption is paused or earlier if the situation warrants.

Recent observations as of 9:31 a.m.

• Volcanic cloud height: About 11,500 feet.
• Other volcanic cloud information: Sulfur dioxide emission rate is typically 50,000 tonnes/day during sustained lava fountaining episodes.
• Lava flow: Confined to Halemaʻumaʻu Crater within Kaluapele, Kīlauea’s summit caldera.
• General hazards: Pele’s hair, tephra and volcanic gas could impact the national park and downwind areas.
• Ash cloud: Plume in past episodes has reached up to 20,000 feet above ground level.
• Ashfall: Small volcanic particles could impact the national park and downwind areas.

Visit the Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park website for visitor information.

Hawaiian Volcano Observatory continues to closely monitor Kīlauea and is in contact with the national park and Hawai‘i County Civil Defense about eruptive hazards.