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USGS Volcano Notice - DOI-USGS-HVO-2026-07-15T01:41:41+00:00

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HVO/USGS Volcanic Activity Notice

Volcano: Kilauea (VNUM #332010)

Current Volcano Alert Level: WATCH
Current Aviation Color Code: ORANGE

Issued: Wednesday, July 15, 2026, 9:07 AM HST
Source: Hawaiian Volcano Observatory
Notice Number: 2026/H337
Location: N 19 deg 25 min W 155 deg 17 min
Elevation: 4091 ft (1247 m)
Area: Hawaii

Summary: Episode 51 of the ongoing Halemaʻumaʻu eruption began at 8:30 a.m. HST on July 15. Communities may be impacted by wind-blown tephra; low level winds are out of the northeast and higher level winds are from the south.

Volcanic Activity:

Episode 51 of lava fountaining in Halemaʻumaʻu at the summit of Kīlauea began at 8:30 a.m. HST on July 15. Lava fountains are currently erupting from the north vent and reaching heights of about 160 ft (50 m) above ground level. Peak fountaining typically occurs 1-2 hours after onset. North vent fountains are feeding large lava flows onto the floor of Halema'uma'u crater. No fountains or flows are erupting from the south vent at this time. Precursory activity is summarized in the Kīlauea Update for Wednesday June 15.

Ground-level sensors near the eruptive vents indicate that winds are blowing 5-10 mph (2-5 m/s ) from the east-northeast direction, which suggests that volcanic gas emissions and volcanic material may be distributed to the west-southwest direction from Halemaʻumaʻu. Tephra including ash may be carried by the wind in the direction of communities in the Ka'u District including Pāhala and Nāʻālehu, and on Highway 11 southwest of Volcano. Higher level winds are from the south with the possibility of tephra being dispersed into communities adjacent to and north of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. See the Hawaii County Civil Defense Agency message from July 15 to prepare your home by closing windows and disconnecting catchment if necessary.

The National Weather Service (NWS) this morning reports low level winds from the east-northeast that would move the plume to the southwest towards Pāhala, and high level winds from the south that would move the higher plume over communities adjacent to Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park. The NWS has issued a Special Weather Statement regarding potential impacts from wind-blown tephra during episode 51.

Most lava fountaining episodes since December 23, 2024, have continued for a day or less.

Remarks:

Hazard Analysis: 

Volcanic Gas: water vapor (H2O), carbon dioxide (CO2), and sulfur dioxide (SO2) are continuously released during an eruption. SO2 reacts in the atmosphere to create the visible haze known as vog (volcanic air pollution) downwind, which may cause respiratory and other problems. Further information on vog can be found at https://vog.ivhhn.org/

Tephra: small glassy volcanic fragments—volcanic ash, pumice, scoria, Pele’s hair and reticulite—are created by the lava fountains. A combination of fountaining dynamics and wind conditions determines where tephra fall may occur for any given eruption episode. Larger particles fall near the vents while light particles may be wafted greater distances. These particles may be remobilized during windy conditions following recent eruptive episodes. Residents and visitors should minimize exposure to these fragments, which can cause skin, eye, and respiratory irritation. More information and guidance on tephra fall hazards is available at https://seagrant.soest.hawaii.edu/resource-and-guidance-for-volcanic-tephra-fall/  

Lava flows: ggenerally advance slowly downslope, and during this eruption flows have been confined to Halemaʻumaʻu crater and the southwest side of Kaluapele, Kīlauea's summit caldera.

Other significant hazards exist around Kīlauea caldera from Halemaʻumaʻu crater wall instability, ground cracking, and rockfalls that can be enhanced by earthquakes. Close to the vents, the tephra material on the crater rim is prone to cracking, slumping, and small landslides that sometimes expose hot and molten material within. 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.



Contacts:

askHVO@usgs.gov



Next Notice:

HVO continues to closely monitor Kīlauea and will issue additional notices as needed based on activity. Regularly scheduled daily updates for Kīlauea are posted on the HVO website at https://www.usgs.gov/volcanoes/kilauea/volcano-updates  

More Information:



Subscribe to these messages: https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/vns2/
Summary of volcanic hazards from eruptions: https://www.usgs.gov/observatories/hvo/hazards
Recent earthquakes in Hawaiʻi (map and list): https://www.usgs.gov/observatories/hvo
Explanation of Volcano Alert Levels and Aviation Color Codes: https://www.usgs.gov/programs/VHP/volcanic-alert-levels-characterize-conditions-us-volcanoes

VOLCANO OBSERVATORY NOTICE FOR AVIATION (VONA)

WMPA01 PHVO 151907   
VONA
DTG:                    20260715/1907Z
VOLCANO:                KILAUEA 332010
PSN:                    N1925 W15517
AREA:                   HAWAII
SOURCE ELEV:            4091FT AMSL
NOTICE NR:              2026/46
CURRENT COLOUR CODE:    ORANGE
PREVIOUS COLOUR CODE:   ORANGE
SVO:                    HAWAIIAN VOLCANO OBSERVATORY
ACT STS:                ERUPTION ONGOING
ONSET:                  20260715/1830Z
DUR:                    30 MIN
VA CLD HGT:             UNKNOWN
HGT SOURCE:             WEBCAM
MOV:                    SW
CTC:                    HVO DUTY SCIENTIST: 808-785-3144
RMK:                    LAVA FOUNTAIN EPISODE 51 STARTED AT KILAUEA SUMMIT. CURRENT FOUNTAIN HEIGHTS 160 FT
                        AGL. PEAK FOUNTAINING OCCURS 1-2 HOURS AFTER ONSET AND TYPICALLY REACHES 500-1500 FT
                        AGL WITH PLUMES UP TO 10,000-25,000 FT AMSL. DOWNWIND TEPHRA FALLOUT IS POSSIBLE.
NXT NOTICE:             A NEW VONA WILL BE ISSUED IF COND CHANGE SIGNIFICANTLY OR IF THE COLOR CODE CHANGES
NNNN