USGS Volcano Notice - DOI-USGS-HVO-2025-01-24T17:37:03+00:00

Activity Summary:  

Summit eruption has been paused since 4:30 a.m. HST January 23. Resumption of activity possible beginning in 4-5 days at current inflation rates. 

Kīlauea's current eruption in Halemaʻumaʻu crater within Kaluapele (the summit caldera) began on December 23, 2024. The eruption has included five episodes of lava fountaining separated by pauses in activity. The fifth episode ended on January 23, 2025, after about 14 hours of eruptive activity from the north vent. Seismicity is low with less than 10 small earthquakes beneath the summit and rift zones of Kīlauea.  Summit inflation has slowed significantly over the past day.

Current hazards include volcanic gas emissions and windblown volcanic glass (Pele’s Hair) that may impact Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park and nearby communities. No unusual activity has been noted along Kīlauea’s East Rift Zone or Southwest Rift Zone.

Summit Observations:

The fifth episode of this eruption began around 3:00 p.m. on January 22 and ended at 4:30 .a.m on January 23. Episode 5 fountains erupting from the north vent fed a lava flow that spread over about one half of the floor of Halemaʻumaʻu crater. Spots of orange glow can be seen at night on the crater floor as the lava continues to cool. Strong glow from the north vent indicates that magma remains close to the surface. 

Seismicity remains low in the summit region. Two earthquakes were detected over the past day with magnitudes of 0 or less. Summit inflation continues at a reduced rate of less than 1 microradian per day. The Uēkahuna tiltmeter (UWD) recorded under 2 microradians of inflation over the past day since the end of episode 5.

Volcanic gas emissions remain elevated. A sulfur dioxide (SO2) emission rate of approximately 10,000 tonnes per day was measured on January 22 at the start of episode 5. Emissions rates have decreased since episode 5 ended and are currently estimated to be near 1,000 tonnes per day, well above background levels.

Strands of volcanic glass known as Pele’s Hair that formed during recent eruptive episodes have been found on surfaces throughout the summit area of Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park and surrounding communities. 

Summit eruption livestream: https://www.youtube.com/usgs/live

Summit eruption webcams: https://www.usgs.gov/volcanoes/kilauea/summit-webcams 

Summit eruption reference map: January 15, 2025—Kīlauea summit eruption reference map | U.S. Geological Survey

Volcano Watch article about Pele's Hair from this eruption: https://www.usgs.gov/observatories/hvo/news/volcano-watch-recent-lava-fountains-highlight-peles-hair-hazards

Rift Zone Observations:

Rates of seismicity and ground deformation remain very low in the East Rift Zone and Southwest Rift Zone with less than 10 earthquakes in the past 24 hours.

Analysis: 

The current eruption is marked by episodic fountaining not seen in any of the other Halemaʻumaʻu eruptions since 2020. Episodic fountains and lava flows have erupted from two vents that we refer to as the north vent and south vent. There have been five fountaining episodes to date lasting from a few hours to over a week. Each fountaining episode has been accompanied by strong deflation of the summit region. Pauses or periods of repose between the fountaining episodes have been marked by an immediate change from deflation to inflation as the magma chamber recharges and repressurizes.

The prior five episodes all began after the Uēkahuna tiltmeter (UWD) recorded between 6 and 12 microradians of inflationary tilt. UWD has recorded about 1.7 microradians since episode 5 ended, but the current rate has slowed to about 1 microradian per day. If this slower rate of recovery continues, another episode isnʻt likely to begin for at least 4-5 more days (January 28-29), but more time is needed to accurately estimate a probability window. The probable window of time for the start of the next episode is based upon behavior prior to previous episodes and could be longer if the inflation rate slows or more pressure is required to initiate the next eruptive episode. See this Volcano Watch and Information Statement on episodes and probability windows for more information.

HVO continues to closely monitor Kīlauea and is in contact with Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park and the Hawai‘i County Civil Defense Agency about eruptive hazards.

Please see the Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park website for visitor information: https://www.nps.gov/havo/index.htm.

Hazards: 

The eruption has been 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 gas 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.