Kīlauea Volcano, nestled on the southeastern shore of Hawaii Island, has entered an unusually active phase since its eruption began on December 23, 2024, with notable episodes of dual lava fountains erupting from the Halemaʻumaʻu caldera. The USGS has been continuously monitoring the activity within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, highlighting the volcano’s status as one of the most active in the world. This recent surge in eruptive activity has generated lava fountains reaching up to 1,000 feet, drawing significant attention from both scientific and public sectors.
According to the USGS, the 23rd episode of precursory activity began last week, initially manifesting as low-level spattering and flames, which quickly escalated to small lava fountains and overflows from the north vent around 11:30 a.m. on Saturday. While the lava fountains have shown a noticeable decrease in height in recent livestreams, they continue to remain visible on the crater floor, with the south vent currently producing 230-foot fountains and the north vent maintaining the 1,000-foot heights. The USGS notes that the lava fountains dropping in height and later stopping does not indicate a complete halt in activity, but rather a natural fluctuation in magma pressure.
The ongoing eruption has led to a pattern of inflation and deflation in the crater’s ground tilt, as described by the USGS. This ‘saw-tooth’ effect has been observed over the past several months, with inflationary tilt occurring before each fountaining episode and deflationary tilt following the release of magma pressure. Despite these fluctuations, the USGS has reported that there has been little net change in the overall pressurization within the summit since the eruption began. The USGS’s detailed monitoring provides valuable insights into the volcano’s behavior, helping to predict potential future eruptions and manage the risks associated with ongoing activity.
As the eruption continues, the USGS and Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park Service maintain that sustained fountaining could occur through the weekend, emphasizing the need for continued vigilance and public safety. The volcano’s recent episodes, including those on May 11, May 6, and May 2, have each lasted varying durations, with the most recent activity on May 16 extending for around 10 hours. These occurrences highlight the unpredictable nature of Kīlauea, a volcano that has long been a subject of scientific study and public interest.