Kīlauea is erupting in Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park. Episode 10 of the ongoing summit eruption began at 8:22 p.m. HST on February 19, 2025.
This is the 10th episode of Kīlauea's ongoing eruption in Halemaʻumaʻu crater within Kaluapele (the summit caldera) that began on December 23, 2024. Fountain-fed lava flows from the north vent are erupting onto the crater floor. There have been 10 episodes of lava fountaining separated by pauses in activity. All eruptive activity is occurring in Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park. No significant changes have been noted along Kīlauea's East Rift Zone or Southwest Rift Zone.
Current hazards include volcanic gas emissions and windblown volcanic glass (Pele's Hair) that may impact Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park and nearby communities.
Summit Observations:
Vigorous, sustained lava fountains from the north vent are feeding lava flows in Halema'uma'u crater. Fountains began erupting from the north vent at 8:22 p.m. HST on February 19, 2025. Fountains reached heights of up to 300-400 feet (90-125 meters) by 9:00 p.m. HST and remained high during the initial hours of episode 10. This morning, HVO field crews measured heights averaging 150-200 feet (45-60 meters) at 6:45 a.m. on February 20, 2025. Active lava flows now cover approximately 75% of the crater floor. Glow could be seen from the south vent during this episode, but it did not erupt any lava flows.
The Uēkahuna tiltmeter (UWD) switched from inflation to deflation, and seismic tremor increased, at about the same time lava flows began erupting onto the crater floor. Deflationary tilt continues. As of 7:45 a.m., UWD has recorded just over 6 microradians of deflationary tilt since the beginning of episode 10. Seismic tremor remains elevated. No significant earthquakes were recorded in the summit region over the past 24 hours.
Wind conditions and the episode timing have prevented accurate measurements of sulfur dioxide (SO) emission rate since the beginning of episode X. Current SO emission rates are estimated to be 10,000 t/d or higher based on emissions measured during earlier episodes.
Strands of volcanic glass known as Pele's Hair have been reported on surfaces throughout the summit area of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park and surrounding communities.
Summit eruption livestream: https://www.youtube.com/usgs/live
Summit eruption webcams: https://www.usgs.gov/volcanoes/kilauea/summit-webcams
Summit eruption reference map: January 15, 2025 -- Kīlauea summit eruption reference map | U.S. Geological Survey
Volcano Watch article about Pele's Hair from this eruption: https://www.usgs.gov/observatories/hvo/news/volcano-watch-recent-lava-fountains-highlight-peles-hair-hazards
Rift Zone Observations:
Rates of seismicity and ground deformation remain very low in the East Rift Zone and Southwest Rift Zone with no significant earthquake activity in the past 24 hours. Sulfur dioxide (SO) from the East Rift Zone remains below detection limit.
Analysis:
The current eruption is marked by episodic fountaining not seen in any of the other Halemaʻumaʻu eruptions since 2020. Fountains and lava flows have erupted from two vents that we refer to as the north vent and south vent in previous episodes. In the ongoing 10th episode, lava is only erupting from the north vent. The previous episodes lasted from a few hours to over a week. Each fountaining episode has been accompanied by strong deflation of the summit region. Pauses between the fountaining episodes have been marked by an immediate change from deflation to inflation as the magma chamber recharges and repressurizes.
Timeline of eruptive episodes since December 23, 2024: https://www.usgs.gov/volcanoes/kilauea/science/eruption-information
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.
Hazards:
The eruption has been 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 the primary 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. Vog information can be found at https://vog.ivhhn.org/.
Additional hazards include Pele's hair and other volcanic fragments from lava fountains. Pele's hair are strands of volcanic glass often produced by lava fountaining activity. Volcanic fragments can fall on the ground within a few hundred yards (meters) of the eruptive vent(s), or on the western caldera rim downwind of the vent(s). Strong winds may waft light particles to greater distances downwind. Once they are on the ground, they can sometimes cluster and tangle together giving it the appearance of a tumbleweed. The extent of Pele's hair is dependent on lava fountaining activity and current wind conditions. Residents and visitors should minimize exposure to these volcanic particles, which can cause skin and eye irritation. More information about how Pele's hair is formed is available here: https://www.usgs.gov/observatories/hvo/news/volcano-watch-peles-hairs-a-beautiful-hazard-island-hawaii. A Frequently Asked Questions document developed for the 2022 Mauna Loa eruption includes information about potential health effects of Pele's hair and is available here: https://vog.ivhhn.org/sites/default/files/FAQ_on_air_quality_and_health_during_Mauna_Loa_eruption_v1.6.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.
For discussion of Kīlauea hazards, please see: https://www.usgs.gov/observatories/hawaiian-volcano-observatory/hazards.