USGS Volcano Notice - DOI-USGS-HVO-2025-01-25T22:49:08+00:00

The eruption of Kīlauea within Halemaʻumaʻu crater paused at 12:36 p.m. HST on January 25, 2025, when fountain-fed lava flows stopped erupting out of the north vent.

Episode 6 began at 11:28 p.m. on January 24 and lasted for just over 13 hours.  

Fountains of episode 6 had been gradually declining throughout the morning and lava had covered nearly half of the floor of Halemaʻumaʻu crater by the time the eruption paused.  Seismic tremor began dropping and deflationary tilt stopped around noon, about 30 minutes before the eruption paused.  Overall, the tiltmeter at Uēkahuna (UWD) recorded about 3 microradians of deflation during episode 6, about the same as episode 5 and appears to be recording the start of inflationary tilt at 1:00 p.m. HST.

Currently light winds are blowing at less than 10 mph out of the north-northeast sending the gas plume to the south into the Kaʻū Desert.  Winds were not conducive to measuring the amount of SO2 in the plume this morning, but in prior episodes it dropped to about 1,000 tonnes a day during pauses.

No changes have been detected in seismicity and deformation in either the East Rift Zone or Southwest Rift Zone.  Both remain at very low levels.

Analysis: 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.  Episode 6 began after recovering only 3 microradians of tilt, the amount lost during episode 5.  Only 3 microradians of deflationary tilt were recorded during episode 6 as well, so it is likely that another episode could start within 1-2 days if inflation rates are similar to prior pauses.  

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. 

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.