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Kīlauea Volcano Activity Notice — status upgrade to RED/WARNING, eruption at the summit

By Hawaiian Volcano Observatory September 10, 2023

Kīlauea volcano is erupting. At approximately 3:15 p.m. HST on September 10, 2023, the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory observed eruptive activity in Kīlauea summit webcam images and from field reports indicating that an eruption has commenced within Halemaʻumaʻu crater and on the down dropped block to the east in Kīlauea’s summit caldera, within Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. 

Kīlauea summit eruption information
Media
lava fountains at the summit of Kīlauea
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
An eruption at the summit of Kīlauea volcano began on September 10, 2023. The main fountain, which HVO geologists estimate is approximately 50 meters tall, is on the eastern margin of Halemaʻumaʻu crater. As of approximately 4:30 p.m., the fissures extend approximately 1350 meters to the northeast, onto the downdropped block that formed during the 2018 summit collapse. 

HVO/USGS Volcanic Activity Notice

Volcano: Kilauea (VNUM #332010)

Current Volcano Alert Level: WARNING
Previous Volcano Alert Level: WATCH

Current Aviation Color Code: RED
Previous Aviation Color Code: ORANGE


Issued: Sunday, September 10, 2023, 3:18 PM HST
Source: Hawaiian Volcano Observatory
Notice Number: 2023/H274
Location: N 19 deg 25 min W 155 deg 17 min
Elevation: 4091 ft (1247 m)
Area: Hawaii

Volcanic Activity Summary:

Kīlauea volcano is erupting. At approximately 3:15 p.m. HST on September 10, 2023, the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory observed eruptive activity in Kīlauea summit webcam images and from field reports indicating that an eruption has commenced within Halemaʻumaʻu crater and on the down dropped block to the east in Kīlauea’s summit caldera, within Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park.  The eruption was preceded by a period of strong seismicity and rapid uplift of the summit.

The USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory is elevating Kīlauea’s volcano alert level from WATCH to WARNING and its aviation color code from ORANGE to RED as this eruption and associated hazards are evaluated.  

The opening phases of eruptions are dynamic. Webcam imagery shows fissures at the base of Halemaʻumaʻu crater generating lava flows on the surface of the crater floor. The activity is confined to Halemaʻumaʻu and the hazards will be reassessed as the eruption progresses.

HVO will continue to monitor this activity closely and report any significant changes in future notices.

HVO is in constant communication with Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park as this situation evolves. The activity is confined entirely within the park.

For more information about the meaning of volcano alert levels and aviation color codes, see https://www.usgs.gov/programs/VHP/volcanic-alert-levels-characterize-conditions-us-volcanoes 

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