Eruption Resumes Overnight, Continues This Morning In The #Kilauea Caldera 

USGS-HVO Update: 
Kīlauea summit eruption resumed at 11:28 p.m. HST, January 24, within Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park.

This is the sixth episode of Kīlauea's current eruption in Halemaʻumaʻu crater within Kaluapele (the summit caldera) that began on December 23, 2024. Lava fountains reached heights of 150 feet (45 meters or more) during the first few hours of this episode and are currently reaching heights of 50-100 feet (15-30 meters). Fountain-fed lava flows are erupting onto the crater floor.

Current hazards include volcanic gas emissions and windblown volcanic glass (Pele’s Hair) that may impact Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park and nearby communities. No unusual activity has been noted along Kīlauea’s East Rift Zone or Southwest Rift Zone.

Summit Observations:

Episode 6 began when fountain-fed lava flows began erupting onto the floor of Halemaʻumaʻu crater at 11:28 p.m. HST January 24. The onset was preceded by small, sporadic spatter fountains that began at approximately 6:00 p.m. and continued to increase in intensity until 11:15 p.m., when sustained fountaining began. Initially, fountains fed only the main channel and flow from the north vent, but by midnight a second channel and flow formed as fountaining increased and reached maximum heights of over 150 feet (45 meters).  Fountain heights began to decrease by 2:00 a.m. January 25 and by 3:30 a.m. HST flow in the second channel had stopped and fountains had dropped to their current level of 50-100 feet (15-30 meters).

Inflationary tilt at the summit recovered the 2.5 microradian tilt loss during episode 5 by 2:00 p.m. HST on January 24 and had increased another 0.5 microradians just before the eruption restarted.  The Uēkahuna tiltmeter (UWD) switched from inflation to deflation at about 11:25 p.m. just before lava flows began erupting onto the crater floor and has recorded about 2.5 microradians of deflationary tilt since then. Seismic tremor began increasing at about 11:25 p.m. just before lava flows began erupting onto the crater floor and remains elevated. Two earthquakes with magnitudes less than 1 were recorded over the past 24 hours.

Volcanic gas emissions remain elevated. A sulfur dioxide (SO2) emission rate of approximately 10,000 tonnes per day was measured on January 22 at the start of episode 5. Emission rates at the start of episode 6 were likely similar.  Light winds are currently blowing the plume to the southwest away from the summit and communities near Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park.

Strands of volcanic glass known as Pele’s Hair that formed during recent eruptive episodes have been found on surfaces throughout the summit area of Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park and surrounding communities. 

Analysis: 

The current eruption is marked by episodic fountaining not seen in any of the other Halemaʻumaʻu eruptions since 2020. Episodic fountains and lava flows have erupted from two vents that we refer to as the north vent and south vent. The previous five fountaining episodes to date lasted from a few hours to over a week. Each fountaining episode has been accompanied by strong deflation of the summit region. Pauses or periods of repose between the fountaining episodes have been marked by an immediate change from deflation to inflation as the magma chamber recharges and repressurizes.