Kīlauea episodic summit eruption continues: Episode 39 erupting on 1-year anniversary

Episode 39 of the ongoing Halemaʻumaʻu eruption at the summit of Kīlauea volcano on the Big Island began at 8:10 p.m. today (Dec. 23), a year to the day after the ongoing episodic eruption began.

Sustained lava fountains of about 100 feet in height were erupting from the north and south vents, with fountain heights increasing. The lava geysers reached up to 1,250 feet tall by just after 9:30 p.m.

Past episodes produced incandescent lava fountains of more than 1,000 feet high that cause eruptive plumes up to 20,000 feet above ground level.

The National Weather Service forecast office in Honolulu reports winds are blowing from the northeast, suggesting volcanic gas emissions and volcanic material could be distributed to the southwest.

Periods of ashfall from the eruption also are likely.

Doppler radar imagery shows the ash plume from this episode is reaching up to 27,000 feet above mean sea level. Winds are pushing most of the ash particles toward the south-southeast, away from more populated communities at this time.

The public is advised to avoid excessive exposure to ash, which is an eye and respiratory irritant. Those with respiratory sensitivities should take extra precaution to minimize exposure.

Visit the Hawaiʻi Interagency Vog Information Dashboard for health and safety recommendations.

Click here to find a summary of other possible volcanic hazards.

All eruptive activity is confined to Halemaʻumaʻu Crater within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park.

Three Kīlauea summit livestream web cameras that show eruptive lava fountains are available at YouTube.

Episode 39 was preceded by overflows of degassed lava that began at about 6:41 p.m. from the south vent and continued to increase in intensity until 8:10 p.m., when sustained fountaining began.

Inflation reached just more than 32 microradians since the end of Episode 38.

Seismic tremor began increasing and tilt switched from inflation to deflation at about 8:10 p.m., about the same time lava flows began erupting onto the crater floor.

Most episodes of Halemaʻumaʻu lava fountaining since the episodic eruption began in the early morning of Dec. 23, 2024, continued for about a day or less and were separated by pauses in activity generally lasting at least several days.

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

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

Hawaiian Volcano Observatory continues to closely monitor Kīlauea.