USGS Volcano Notice - DOI-USGS-HVO-2025-01-27T18:09:54+00:00

Activity Summary:  

Kīlauea summit eruption paused as of January 25. A new eruptive episode is most likely to begin in the next 5 days within Halemaʻumaʻu crater.

Kīlauea's current eruption in Halemaʻumaʻu crater within Kaluapele (the summit caldera) began on December 23, 2024. There have been six episodes of lava fountaining separated by pauses in activity. The sixth episode ended on January 25, 2025, at 12:36 p.m. HST after about 13 hours of eruptive activity from the north vent. The eruption is most likely to begin within the next 5 days based on current rates of summit inflation. Seismicity is low with less than 15 small earthquakes beneath the summit and rift zones of Kīlauea. All eruptive activity has occurred in Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park. No unusual activity has been noted along Kīlauea’s East Rift Zone or Southwest Rift Zone.

Current hazards include volcanic gas emissions and windblown volcanic glass (Pele’s Hair) that may impact Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park and nearby communities.

Summit Observations:

Episode 6 began on January 24 at 11:28 p.m. and ended on January 25 at 12:36 p.m. Lava flows from episode 6 covered nearly half of Halemaʻumaʻu crater floor. Spots of orange glow can still be seen at night on the crater floor as lava continues to cool. Strong glow from the north vent indicates that magma remains close to the surface. 

Seismicity remains low. Five earthquakes with magnitudes less than 1 were recorded over the past 24 hours. The tiltmeter at Uēkahuna (UWD) recorded about 3 microradians of deflation during episode 6, about the same as episode 5. Deflation changed to inflation on January 25 at 1:00 p.m. UWD has recorded approximately 2.5 microradians of inflation since the end of episode 6 but the rate of inflation has slowed over the past 12 hours. 

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. Emission rates at the start of episode 6 were likely similar. Emissions rates have decreased since episode 6 ended and are currently estimated to be near 1,000 tonnes per day.

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 small earthquakes in the past 24 hours.

Analysis: 

Each episode of lava fountaining since December 23, 2024, has continued for 13 hours to 8 days and episodes have been separated by pauses in eruptive activity lasting 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 5 days (Monday January 27-Friday January 31) if inflation rates are similar to prior pauses.  

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. 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.

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.