USGS Volcano Notice - DOI-USGS-HVO-2025-01-23T01:16:03+00:00

Activity Summary: The eruption of Kīlauea within Kaluapele (summit caldera) resumed just before 3:00 p.m. HST today, January 22, 2025. This marks the beginning of the fifth episode of the current eruption that began on December 23, 2024, following the most recent pause that began on Saturday, January 18, 2025.

Episode 5 started with small spatter fountains at approximately 2:57 p.m. and lava flows beginning at 2:59 p.m. Current activity includes small dome fountains 16-33 feet (5-10 meters) high feeding a short lava flow from the north vent. Weak, intermittent spatter was observed earlier in the day but sustained effusive activity did not begin until just before 3:00 p.m. There are no signs of activity at the south vent.

Seismic tremor increased at 3:00 p.m. at the same time that effusion began. The tiltmeter at Uēkahuna continues to record inflation beneath Halemaʻumaʻu at the time of this report but is expected to transition to deflation as the eruption continues. 

Each episode of lava fountaining since December 23, 2024, has continued for 14 hours to 8 days and episodes have been separated by pauses in eruptive activity lasting a less than 24 hours to 12 days. 

HVO continues to closely monitor Kīlauea and will issue an eruption update tomorrow morning unless there are significant changes before then. HVO remains in close contact with Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park and the Hawai‘i County Civil Defense Agency. Please see the Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park website for visitor information: https://www.nps.gov/havo/index.htm The Kīlauea summit livestream video is available here: https://www.youtube.com/usgs/live  

Kīlauea Volcano Alert Level/Aviation Color Code remain at WATCH/ORANGE. All current and recent activity is within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. No changes have been detected in the East Rift Zone or Southwest Rift Zone.

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.  

The Kīlauea summit livestream video is available here: https://www.youtube.com/usgs/live 

Hazards: The eruption is occurring within a closed area of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park. High levels of volcanic gas—primarily water vapor (H₂O), carbon dioxide (CO₂), and sulfur dioxide (SO₂)—are the primary hazard of concern, as this hazard can have far-reaching effects downwind. As SO₂ is continuously released from the summit during an eruption, it will react in the atmosphere to create the visible haze known as vog (volcanic smog) downwind of Kīlauea. Vog information can be found at https://vog.ivhhn.org/.

Pele's hair, which are strands of volcanic glass often produced by lava fountaining activity, can be carried by the wind. It can sometimes cluster and tangle together on the ground, giving it the appearance of a tumbleweed. The extent of Pele's hair is dependent on lava fountaining activity and current wind conditions. More information about how Pele's hair is formed is available here: https://www.usgs.gov/observatories/hvo/news/volcano-watch-peles-hairs-a-beautiful-hazard-island-hawaii. A Frequently Asked Questions document developed for the 2022 Mauna Loa eruption includes information about potential health effects of Pele's hair and is available here: https://vog.ivhhn.org/sites/default/files/FAQ_on_air_quality_and_health_during_Mauna_Loa_eruption_v1.6.pdf

Hawaiian lava flows generally advance slowly downslope, and during this eruption flows have been confined to Halemaʻumaʻu crater and the southwest side of Kaluapele, Kīlauea's summit caldera. Additional hazards include Pele's hair and other volcanic fragments from lava fountains that can fall on the ground within a few hundred yards (meters) of the eruptive vent(s), or on the western caldera rim downwind of the vent(s). Strong winds may waft lighter particles to greater distances downwind, and wind directions are variable. Residents and visitors should minimize exposure to these volcanic particles, which can cause skin and eye irritation.

Other significant hazards also remain around Kīlauea caldera from Halemaʻumaʻu crater wall instability, ground cracking, and rockfalls that can be enhanced by earthquakes within the area closed to the public. This underscores the extremely hazardous nature of Kīlauea's caldera rim surrounding Halemaʻumaʻu crater, an area that has been closed to the public since late 2007.
 
For discussion of Kīlauea hazards, please see: https://www.usgs.gov/observatories/hawaiian-volcano-observatory/hazards.