Lava fountains reach 215 m (700 feet) at Kīlauea volcano, Hawaii

Kīlauea volcano entered a period of intense lava fountaining roughly 12 hours after the episode began at 22:24 UTC on Tuesday. Lava rapidly shot up from the southern vent, reaching over 60 m (200 feet) high by 22:40 UTC and exceeding 215 m (700 feet) high by 22:50 UTC.

The Aviation Color Code remains at Orange, with all the activity contained within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park.

Before the episode began, the ground had tilted upwards, almost recovering from a previous eruption. Then, the ground started to deflate at the same time that high fountains began, and tremors got stronger.

Weak spattering started around the north vent at around 03:20 UTC on Tuesday. By 04:00 UTC, the spattering became continuous, with lava fountains reaching 5–10 m (15–30 feet).

Small spatter fountains were first observed by field crews at the south vent at 18:30 UTC on Tuesday and are likely to have been active deeper in the vent prior to that time. Activity increased at the south vent at 22:12 UTC and began producing significant lava flows. Fountains in this episode are likely to exceed 300 m (1 000 feet), similar to the previous episode.

SO₂ levels during the recent episodes have at times reached 50 000 tonnes per day or higher, and these levels are expected to continue during episode 16. Due to weak winds, the gas and volcanic debris could spread and pose a hazard to visitors and nearby residents, as seen during episode 15.

Each episode of Halemaʻumaʻu 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. 

The ongoing episodic eruption of Kīlauea is taking place within a closed area of Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. The main hazard is the continuous release of volcanic gases, particularly water vapor (H₂O), carbon dioxide (CO₂), and sulfur dioxide (SO₂). SO₂ emissions contribute to the formation of vog (volcanic smog), which can affect areas downwind and may cause respiratory and other health problems at high concentrations.

Additional hazards include Pele’s hair and other volcanic fragments generated by lava fountaining. Pele’s hair consists of fine strands of volcanic glass that can be carried by wind and may cause irritation to the skin and eyes. These particles sometimes collect and resemble tumbleweeds on the ground. Their distribution depends on the intensity of lava activity and prevailing wind conditions.

Lava flows associated with the eruption have remained confined to the Halemaʻumaʻu crater and the southwest portion of Kaluapele, Kīlauea’s summit caldera, and have advanced slowly downslope in line with typical Hawaiian eruption behavior.

Significant risks also persist around the Kīlauea caldera due to the potential for crater wall collapse, ground cracking, and rockfalls, which may be triggered by local seismic activity.

References;
¹ Hawaiian Volcano Observatory Status Report – USGS – April 1, 2025