Newest Volcano Notice Including Kilauea

Activity Summary: 

Episode 41 of the ongoing Halemaʻumaʻu eruption began around 11:10 a.m. HST on January 24, 2026, and is still continuing. As of 4:15 p.m., both north vent and south vent fountains slightly less than 200 m (650 feet) high. North and south vent fountain heights peaked just after 12:30 p.m., with maximum fountain heights estimated around 460 to 480 m (1500 to1575 feet). Widespread tephra fall has been reported in the National Park and surrounding areas including communities to the north of the National Park with finer ash reported from as far as Hilo and coastal communities in Puna. 

Weak surface winds in combination with stronger upper-level winds blowing to the east have resulted in widespread tephra fall to the north and east of the eruptive vents. Small to large clasts, some up to grapefruit size, have been reported at many public viewing areas within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, including Uēkahuna, Kūkamāhuākea (Steam Vents), Volcano House, and Keanakākoʻi. Some tephra at Keanakākoʻi was reported to still be hot as it fell. Check messages from Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, Hawaiʻi County Civil Defense, and Hawaiʻi Department of Highways for viewing area and road closures in the area. Reports from subdivisions of slippery conditions where rain is falling on crushed tephra coating some of the roads. 

Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park Closure Information https://www.nps.gov/havo/planyourvisit/conditions.htm

Hawaiʻi County Road Closures Map: https://www.arcgis.com/apps/dashboards/5865229bcba74020992b372ef18b6f17

Tephra has been reported in communities including Volcano Village, Mauna Loa Estates, Ohia Estates, Mountain View, Fern Acres, Kurtistown, Ainaloa Estates, Hilo, Hawaiian Paradise Parks, Hawaiian Beaches, and Pahoa. Tephra fall in more distant communities (Mountain View, Fern Acres, Kurtistown, Ainaloa Estates, Hilo, Hawaiian Paradise Parks, Hawaiian Beaches, and Pahoa) is fine-grained ash and Pele's hair, and is expected to continue as the plume continues to disperse downwind in a general easterly direction. Falling tephra can pose a health hazard and may contaminate catchment water supplies.  See this State of Hawaiʻi Department of Health release for more information. https://governor.hawaii.gov/newsroom/news-release-doh-urges-caution-with-elevated-volcanic-gas-emissions/. 

The tiltmeter at UWD started recording deflation at about 10:15 a.m. this morning, and summit seismometers started recording increasing tremor around 11:10 a.m. The episode started at 11:10 a.m. with both vents fountaining. As of 4:15 p.m., the tiltmeter at Uēkahuna (UWD) has recorded about 22.5 microradians of deflationary tilt since the start of episode 41 lava fountaining. UWD recorded approximately 18 microradians of inflationary tilt between the end of episode 40 and the start of episode 41. 

Episode 41 followed several days of low-level activity, starting with weak spattering from north vent the night January 21–22, with the first overflows from north vent the night of January 22. This morning at 3:52 a.m. north vent started continuously overflowing. Low fountains increased in height to 10–15 feet (3–5 meters) and both the north vent effusion rate and overflow activity increased at about 4:47 a.m. HST. South vent also had overflows. The south vent had its first overflow at 4:11 a.m. HST this morning, the first of four short-lived overflows that remained close to the vent. Starting at 6:40 a.m., overflows became larger and longer-lived, sending flows out onto the floor of Halemaʻumaʻu crater.

• All eruptive activity is confined to Halemaʻumaʻu crater within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, with tephra fall in nearby communities; commercial airports in Hawaii County (KOA and ITO) are unlikely to be affected by this activity.
• Three Kīlauea summit livestream videos that show eruptive lava fountains are available here: V1cam, V2cam, V3cam.
• KPcam and MKcam provide views of the plume height for aviation purposes.

Most episodes of Halemaʻumaʻu lava fountaining since December 23, 2024, have continued for around a day or less and have been separated by pauses in eruptive activity lasting generally at least several days. 

• Timeline of eruptive episodes since December 23, 2024: https://www.usgs.gov/volcanoes/kilauea/science/eruption-information.

No changes have been detected in the East Rift Zone or Southwest Rift Zone. 

Kīlauea Volcano Alert Level/Aviation Color Code remain at WATCH/ORANGE. All current and recent activity is within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park.

Hazards: 

This episodic eruption is 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 one major 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. SO₂ and vog may cause respiratory and other problems at high concentrations. Further information on vog can be found at https://vog.ivhhn.org/.

Another major hazard is fallout of Pele's hair and other volcanic fragments from lava fountains. Pele's hair is strands of volcanic glass often produced by lava fountaining activity that can be carried well over 10 miles (15 kilometers) from the vent. Other hot glassy volcanic fragments (tephra) including volcanic ash, pumice, scoria, and reticulite can fall on the ground within 1-3 miles (1-5 kilometers) of the eruptive vent(s), with the highest concentrations immediately downwind of the vent(s). Various volcanic fragments have fallen on Highway 11 west and north of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park at times, depending on wind and eruption conditions. Strong winds may waft light particles, including Pele's hair, to greater distances downwind. Once on the ground, Pele's hair can sometimes cluster and tangle together, giving it the appearance of a tumbleweed. The extent of Pele's hair deposition is dependent on lava fountaining activity and wind conditions. Residents and visitors should minimize exposure to Pele's hair and other glassy volcanic fragments, which can cause skin and eye irritation and can also contaminate catchment water supplies. More information about how Pele's hair, its hazards, and what to do is available here: https://www.usgs.gov/observatories/hvo/news/volcano-watch-recent-lava-fountains-highlight-peles-hair-hazards. A recently updated Frequently Asked Questions document that includes information about potential health effects of Pele's hair is available here: https://vog.ivhhn.org/sites/default/files/PelesHair_FAQs_v2.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.

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.