USGS Volcano Notice - DOI-USGS-HVO-2026-04-27T18:30:46+00:00

Overview:

The eruption at the summit of Kīlauea is currently paused. Consistent glow and occasional flames continued from the south vent over the past day. The north vent produced only sporadic glow. The forecast window for episode 46, based on tilt data, suggests that lava fountaining will occur again sometime between Saturday, May 2 and Wednesday, May 6.

No significant activity has been noted along Kīlauea’s East Rift Zone or Southwest Rift Zone.

NOTE: Significant changes in activity between Daily Updates are posted here: https://www.usgs.gov/observatories/hvo/observatory-messages

Summit Observations:

Consistent glow and occasional flames were visible from the south vent overnight, with sporadic glow from the north vent. Incandescence on the crater floor flow field has diminished completely and was mostly dark overnight.

Seismic tremor continues with 1–10 minute bursts that are typical for days after the end of fountaining, however magnitudes are decreasing somewhat. Earthquake activity at the summit has been low; nonetheless 24 small earthquakes were recorded over the past day, mostly under the pre-2018 location of Halemaʻumaʻu crater and scattered under the southeast caldera.

The Uēkahuna tiltmeter (UWD) recorded about 16.0 microradians of deflationary tilt during episode 45. Over the past day, the rate of inflationary tilt decreased slightly but tiltmeters continued to show net inflationary tilt. Since the end of episode 45, UWD has recorded 7.3 microradians of inflationary tilt. 

With the eruption now paused, the SO₂ emission rate is likely varying within a typical range of 1,000 to 5,000 tonnes per day. 

Rift Zone Observations:

Rates of seismicity and ground deformation remain low in the East Rift Zone and Southwest Rift Zone. SO₂ emissions from the East Rift Zone remain below the detection limit.

Analysis:

The rapid return of inflationary tilt and strong glow from both Halemaʻumaʻu eruptive vents indicates that another lava fountaining episode is likely. The current forecast window is based on data from summit tiltmeters and suggests that episode 46 will occur between Saturday, May 2 and Wednesday, May 6. This window may be adjusted based on continuing observations.

Kīlauea has been erupting episodically since December 23, 2024, from two vents (north and south) in Halema‘uma‘u. Lava fountaining episodes, which generally last for less than 12 hours, are separated by pauses that can be longer than three weeks.

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

Recap of episode 45:

Episode 45 of the ongoing Halemaʻumaʻu eruption began at 1:34 a.m. HST on April 23 and ended at 10:01 a.m. on the same day. Lava fountaining occurred from the north vent and reached a maximum height of 900 feet (270 meters). Prevailing winds were from the north and northeast, and no significant tephra fallout was reported at visitor areas of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park or on county roads. However, small particles were reported in communities farther downwind to the southwest. 

A full summary of episode 45 can be found in a Status Report here: https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/hans-public/notice/DOI-USGS-HVO-2026-04-23T19:07:34+00:00

Resources:

NOTE: HVO’s monitoring network is mostly recovered from recent power- and storm-related outages. Several summit stations, including the SDH tiltmeter, will remain offline until we are able to re-establish access across the deep tephra field south of the caldera.

The following links provide more information about the current eruption that began on December 23, 2024:

• Eruption resources, including the most recent map and a timeline of eruption episodes since December 23, 2024: https://www.usgs.gov/volcanoes/kilauea/science/eruption-information
• Short messages tracking the evolution of the lava fountains and eruptive activity can be found here: https://www.usgs.gov/observatories/hvo/observatory-messages
• Three Kīlauea summit livestream cameras that show eruptive lava fountains are available here: https://www.youtube.com/@usgs/streams
• Summit eruption webcams: https://www.usgs.gov/volcanoes/kilauea/summit-webcams
• Volcano Watch article on gas pistons: https://www.usgs.gov/observatories/hvo/news/volcano-watch-so-what-earth-or-least-kilauea-a-gas-piston

Hazards:

This episodic eruption is occurring within a closed area of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park.

• Volcanic Gas: high levels of volcanic gas—primarily water vapor (H₂O), carbon dioxide (CO₂), and sulfur dioxide (SO₂)—are continually released during an eruption. Emissions can remain locally hazardous in the areas immediately downwind of the vents, even when the vents are not actively erupting. SO₂ reacts in the atmosphere to create vog (volcanic air pollution) downwind. SO₂ and vog may cause respiratory and other problems at high concentrations. 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: lava on the floor of Halemaʻumaʻu crater and the southwest side of Kaluapele, Kīlauea's summit caldera, remains hot and may slowly move in the days immediately following an eruptive episode.

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 eruptive 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.