USGS Volcano Notice - DOI-USGS-HVO-2026-07-14T18:06:08+00:00

Overview:

The Kīlauea summit eruption within Halemaʻumaʻu crater is paused following the brief low-level precursory spattering activity on Saturday, July 11. Overnight webcam views showed strong glow from the north vent with occasional spatter, and variable glow from the south vent. Summit inflation resumed yesterday afternoon and continued until about 2:30 a.m. HST this morning when the tilt flattened and slowed. Variations in summit deformation over the past few days continue to push back the forecast time window for episode 51. Current observations and forecast models suggest that lava fountaining episode 51 is likely to start between today, July 14 and Thursday, July 16.

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

A summary of lava fountaining episode 50 is posted below.

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

Summit Observations:

Continuous strong glow was visible from the north vent overnight with occasional flames and weak spattering, and intermittent variable glow from the south vent. 

Steady, low-level seismic tremor was alternating with short periods of reduced tremor followed by spikes related to gas piston activity in the south vent. Earthquake activity beneath Kaluapele (Kīlauea caldera) remains low. 

Kīlauea summit has recorded about 1.7 microradians of inflationary tilt since about 2:00 p.m. HST yesterday afternoon on the UWD tiltmeter, following the long deflationary trend that began on Saturday morning, July 11. For the first 14 hours, the inflation rate was rapid, regaining 1.7 microradians by around 2:30 a.m. HST, followed by very slow inflation that is continuing. Since inflation resumed yesterday afternoon, the UWD tiltmeter is up to a total of 15 microradians since the end of episode 50. Summit deflation totaled 15.3 microradians on UWD during episode 50. 

The sulfur dioxide (SO₂) emission rate from the summit is likely now 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:

Summit inflation resumed yesterday afternoon, following several days of deflationary tilt. At first, the inflation was very rapid regaining 1.7 microradians in 14 hours, making it look like episode 51 fountaining was near.  However, around 2:30 a.m. HST, the inflation rate nearly flattened and very slow inflation continues.  If this rate is sustained it will push back the start of episode 51 to later today at the earliest.  Deflationary trends have interrupted the overall inflationary pattern several times following episode 50 and complicate forecasting the onset of episode 51 fountains. Strong continuous glow and occasional spatter from the north vent along with intermittent but strong glow from the south vent overnight, indicates that magma remains close to the surface. The current forecast suggests that episode 51 will occur sometime between later today, July 14, and Thursday, July 16, but this time window could be pushed back further if summit inflation rates remain low.

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

Summary of episode 50:

A detailed account of episode 50 is given in the HVO Status Report issued on June 27: https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/hans-public/notice/DOI-USGS-HVO-2026-06-28T04:29:55+00:00

• Episode 50 of the ongoing Halemaʻumaʻu eruption at the summit of Kīlauea ended abruptly at 5:10 p.m. HST on June 27, 2026, after 7 hours of continuous lava fountaining from the north vent. The eruption is currently paused.

• Tephra fall was restricted mostly to the closed area of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park to the southwest of the active Halemaʻumaʻu vents. A light fall of Peleʻs hair was reported from the town of Pāhala in Kaʻū.

   

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 southwest 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.