30 Episodes of Lava Fountaining at Kīlauea

Since December 23, 2024, 30 episodes of lava fountaining have happened in summit caldera of Kīlauea volcano, in Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. 

Most episodes have lasted less than a day and have been separated by pauses generally lasting around a week. Lava fountains, which have erupted from two vents in Halemaʻumaʻu crater, have reached up to 1250 feet high, feeding lava flows that are contained to the caldera floor. These lava flows have paved 840 acres in area and filled the crater with about 240 feet of new rock. 

Volcanic gas emissions and tephra can be carried downwind and are the primarily hazards of concern in this eruption. Volcanic gas emissions can cause vog, or volcanic air pollution that can affect people with respiratory sensitivities. Tephra are pieces of rock that are erupted and travel through the air before falling to ground. Most tephra lands within a mile of the vents and has built up a hill on the crater rim reaching nearly 100 feet high. Smaller particles, such as Pele’s Hair, which are fine strands of volcanic glass, can be carried greater distances downwind. Most of the time, during tradewind conditions, the downwind direction is to the southwest in the hazardous closed area of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park.  

The USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory closely monitors Kīlauea and other active volcanoes in Hawaii. Much of our monitoring datasets are available on the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory website and you can check the status of Kīlauea summit eruption on one of three USGS livestream cameras, or by subscribing to receive official Kīlauea notices from the USGS Volcano Notification Service.