#hawaii volcano blog

Comparing different eruptions can be a bit like comparing apples to oranges. But no matter how you compare, the ongoing eruption made an impression in terms of its longevity, with two active vents and impacts to areas downwind, including the changing topography of the summit.

Hawaiian Volcano Observatory on the Big Island will issue its first Volcano Observatory Notice to Aviation in the new format when the next Kīlauea fountaining episode begins — and the aviation community will get that information more quickly and effectively than ever before.

An estimated 15 million cubic yards of lava erupted and covered about 50% of Halemaʻumaʻu Crater floor.

Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists use tiny features within crystals in erupted lava to answer big questions about the underlying plumbing system at Kīlauea volcano on the Big Island.

Strong updrafts coupled with light winds blowing to the east and north sent lava fragments — called tephra — from those molten rock geysers over much of Puna, into Hilo and falling along the eastern edge of Kaʻū; learn more now!

It is yet to be determined if temblor swarms following Episode 40 of the ongoing episodic summit eruption that began Dec. 23, 2024, will impact lava fountaining activity at the surface.

While the mid-20th century episodic eruption and current ongoing eruption within the summit caldera of Kīlauea volcano on the Big Island share similarities, there also are several differences.

Fountaining episodes during the past month and a half broke several records for this eruption, including the highest lava fountains, the most volume of lava erupted and the highest rate of lava effusion for this event, which has now lasted more than 10 months.

When magma moves into the rift zone of a Hawaiian volcano, there is understandably a lot of excitement and apprehension. How far will the magma go? Will it erupt? But even long after the activity stops — regardless of whether it erupts — the subsurface magma continues to have a noticeable impact on the landscape.

The most recent eruptive event of the Big Island volcano stopped at 12:36 p.m. Jan. 25, but Hawaiian Volcano Observatory says another episode could start within the next 1 to 2 days.

Hawaiian Volcano Observatory reported the newest eruptive activity in the Big Island volcano’s summit caldera began at about 9:15 a.m. Wednesday, with a small lava flow exiting the north vent following low-level continuous lava spattering that started at about 5:40 a.m. from the same vent.