USGS Volcano Notice - DOI-USGS-HVO-2026-01-12T20:31:13+00:00

HVO/USGS Volcanic Activity Notice

Volcano: Kilauea (VNUM #332010)

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

Issued: Monday, January 12, 2026, 6:13 PM HST
Source: Hawaiian Volcano Observatory
Notice Number: 2026/H25
Location: N 19 deg 25 min W 155 deg 17 min
Elevation: 4091 ft (1247 m)
Area: Hawaii

Volcanic Activity Summary:

Episode 40 of the ongoing Halemaʻumaʻu eruption ended abruptly at 6:04 p.m. HST on January 12 after 9.7 hours of continuous lava fountaining. Additional details on this eruptive episode will be provided in the next official report.

Short messages tracking the evolution of this episode and other eruptive activity can be found here: HVO - Observatory Messages | U.S. Geological Survey. 

• All eruptive activity was confined to Halemaʻumaʻu crater within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park
• Timeline of eruptive episodes since December 23, 2024: https://www.usgs.gov/volcanoes/kilauea/science/eruption-information 
• Three Kīlauea summit livestream videos are available here: https://www.youtube.com/@usgs/streams 
• Additional short updates shared during the episode can be found here: https://www.usgs.gov/observatories/hvo/observatory-messages 

Recent Observations:
[Volcanic cloud height] Unknown
[Other volcanic cloud information] Sulfur dioxide emission rate is typically 1,000-3,000 tonnes/day between eruptive episodes.
[Ballistics] N/A
[Lava flow/dome] N/A
[Lava flow] N/A

Hazard Analysis:
[General hazards] Small particles of Pele's hair and ash may be remobilized in areas downwind of eruptive vents.
[Ash cloud] N/A
[Ashfall] N/A
[Lava flow/dome] N/A
[Pyroclastic flow] N/A
[Mud flow] N/A
[Volcanic gas] Usually 1,000-3,000 tonnes/day SO2 between eruptive episodes.
[Lava flow] May continue to exhibit slow movement or incandescence as they cool and solidify over the coming days.

Remarks:

Hazard Analysis: 

Volcanic Gas: water vapor (H₂O), carbon dioxide (CO₂), and sulfur dioxide (SO₂) emissions can remain locally hazardous in the areas immediately downwind of the vents, even when the vents are not actively erupting. 

Tephra: small glassy volcanic fragments may be remobilized during windy conditions following recent eruptive episodes. Residents and visitors should minimize exposure to these fragments, which can cause skin and eye irritation. More information is available here: https://vog.ivhhn.org/sites/default/files/PelesHair_FAQs_v2.pdf. 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. 

Lava flows: on the floor of Halemaʻumaʻu crater and the southwest side of Kaluapele, Kīlauea's summit caldera, remain hot and may slowly move in the days immediately following an eruptive episode. 

Other significant hazards also remain around Kīlauea caldera from Halemaʻumaʻu crater wall instability, ground cracking, and rockfalls that can be enhanced by earthquakes. 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:

• Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park visitor information: https://www.nps.gov/havo/index.htm
• Kīlauea activity summary also available by phone: (808) 967-8862
• Kīlauea webcam images: https://www.usgs.gov/volcanoes/kilauea/webcams
• Kīlauea photos/video: https://www.usgs.gov/volcanoes/kilauea/photo-and-video-chronology
• Kīlauea lava-flow maps: https://www.usgs.gov/volcanoes/kilauea/maps
• Kīlauea FAQs: https://www.usgs.gov/volcanoes/kilauea/faqs

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