Aloha, it's your weekly Volcano Minute, brought to you by the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. 

It was a busy week in Hilo as the Merrie Monarch Festival kicked off—right as Kīlauea delivered its 44th episode of lava fountaining. After several days of intermittent lava flows from the south vent, the fountaining began at 11:10 a.m. on April 9, with fountains from the north vent soaring up to 800 feet. The eruption lasted about eight and a half hours and produced only about half the lava of the previous episode. 

The plume rose 15,000 feet but stayed below the inversion layer, southerly winds carried ash, Pele’s hair, and even softball‑sized tephra across Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, Highway 11, and parts of Volcano village. Reports came in from as far as Nīnole, 35 miles away. Because of falling debris, the Alert Level for Kīlauea  was raised to WARNING and parts of the park and Highway 11 temporarily closed. 

The plume was pushed over Highway 11, allowing scientists to measure sulfur dioxide emissions at more than 200,000 tonnes per day—levels comparable to the 2018 lower East Rift Zone eruption of eruption. 

Small earthquakes began south of Halemaʻumaʻu during the event, accompanied by ground uplift detected by satellite, reminding us how dynamic the summit remains. 

With 44 episodes now logged, Kīlauea’s ongoing eruption continues to reshape the summit and serve as a powerful reminder: an active volcano can always surprise us. 

Mahalo for listening, I’m Katie Mulliken and this was your weekly volcano minute brought to you by the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.